A journey to India has given high flying pupils at Henry Compton School in Fulham the chance to help alleviate poverty in a remote village.
All the students earned their places on the trip to India, organised by Raleigh International, thanks to impressive GCSE results.
Students from the Kingwood Road school worked alongside villagers in Telugu Massahali, Mysore, to build sanitation units for families, which will help reduce pollution in the nearby water supply.
Ali Kamel, 16, said: "We became very close to all of the community. It was a life changing experience, a history to be written in our hearts."
Pupil Sam Reid, 16, said one of the best parts of the trip was learning about himself. He added: "Other highlights have been getting to know everybody well."
Head teacher at Henry Compton School, Dinesh Ramjee, said the trip, which ended last Sunday, was a big success.
He said: "Trips like these are so important as there is such a contrast between what they saw and their own lifestyle. It's very humbling and enriching for pupils and staff. The appetite for education in India is so great it's a lesson our boys can learn from."
