A PRIMARY school teacher is packing up and going Stateside as she swaps places with an American counterpart.

Helen Campbell will leave her modest terraced house in Blackburn behind and take up residence at a 10-acre ranch in Wichita, Kansas, as part of 12-month teacher exchange programme.

Salesbury Primary School teacher Helen will change places with Marilyn Brothers at the Benton Elementary School for one year. Marilyn will live at Helen's Dukes Brow home for the duration of the visit and work at the Wilpshire school.

Helen's husband Graham, a manager at school uniform shop Whittaker's in Ainsworth Street, in Blackburn town centre, will join her in the all-American lifestyle and will work as an assistant sports coach at the neighbourhood public school.

The pair have crossed the Atlantic before, spending their honeymoon in Hawaii as well as visiting New York and Texas, which they said inspired them to make the move. Helen, 26, said: "We both adore America and the people are fantastic, they are really friendly and I have been told that in Wichita they are especially friendly.

"I have been communicating with Marilyn by e-mail and she has sent pictures to me and information about the school and the neighbourhood that we will live in. I expect that we will get a warm welcome from Marilyn's friends."

The pair said they will miss East Lancashire but although the Wichita Eagle will replace the Lancashire Evening Telegraph for their must-read, they are determined to keep abreast of what's happening back home.

Helen said: "We will be able to look on the internet to keep in touch with what is happening in Blackburn so we don't miss anything.

"We don't have any children, we had no reason not to go for the job swap.

"I will miss all the children at school, but it is only for a year and before we know it, it will be time for us to come back. It will be a great learning curve and an excellent way to be able to get some experience of different cultures and customs. Holidays are great but this will be even better."