A government-funded programme has given Suffolk students the chance to study in Thailand with another successful bid meaning more will visit Brazil and Beijing next year.

A total of 104 students from Abbeygate Sixth Form College have just returned home from a study tour of Thailand as part of the Turing Scheme.

The Bury St Edmunds sixth form successfully applied for funding last year as part of the programme encouraging global education partnerships, experiences and opportunities.

While in Thailand, the students visited an elephant sanctuary and were able to feed the animals on the banks of the River Kwai while learning about a real-life conservation project.

Stowmarket-based Heidi Leather, 17, said: "The elephant sanctuary was amazing and the culture was the greatest part of the trip. It was definitely an experience of a lifetime."

They also visited the Wat Arun and Wat Pho temples and spent three days working with Thai students from a partner school on projects involving astronomy, economics and photography.

The sixth form students linked up with the Christian Care Foundation for Children with Disabilities in Thailand to visit an orphanage.

Glemsford student Finlay Powis, 17, said: "All of it was a highlight - there wasn't a moment I didn't enjoy. I'd like to say thanks to the Turing Scheme for allowing me this opportunity.

"I come from a working-class background - the fact it was £300 meant I could afford to go."

A further 15 students travelled to Nepal on a separate partnership with Challenges Abroad.

They visited Dhulikhel and Kathmandu, working with a school to plant trees as part of an environmental and sustainability project and raised money for the community hosting them.

Group director of extended opportunities for the Eastern Colleges Nadine Payne was instrumental in securing the funding.

She said: "We are very grateful to have been given the opportunity to offer these chances of a lifetime to our students through the Turing Scheme, as it has expanded their horizons and allowed them to participate, no matter their circumstances or background."

Abbeygate Sixth Form College has secured more funding for 2022-23, meaning current and future students can apply for study tours in Brazil, Beijing, Thailand and South Korea.