A team of teachers will swap Bradford's mild mid-winter for a place cold enough to freeze moisturiser to the face.

Staff from Bingley's Myrtle Park Primary, Baildon Church School, Heaton St Barnabas and Miriam Lord Community Primary School in Manningham will travel to icy Siberia - famous for its harsh climate - to learn how Russian teachers succeed in motivating under-achieving boys.

The Myrtle Park teachers - Sue Bell, Steve Duckett and Joyce Moyers - who make up part of the team of ten, will travel during February half-term to extend friendship to colleagues and pupils in Russia.

"It's a fact-finding mission to see if we can bring anything back to our own schools," said Mr Duckett.

"One of the main things is to see how the schools engage with the boys. We're told they are quite successful at motivating the male pupils and helping them to achieve."

The trip has been organised and wholly funded by the British Council, which promotes international cultural relations, as part of the Teachers' Internation-al Professional Development Programme with support from Education Bradford.

The party will visit Krasnoyarsk City where they have been told the temperature is likely to be -30 degrees C.

Aware that their regular winter-wear would be insufficient for such an ice-box, the team contacted Damart, Bingley's nationally-renowned supplier of thermal clothing.

"Damart have been great and have given us long johns and long-sleeve tops," said Mrs Moyers. "We'll certainly need them."

Mrs Bell said they were warned the extreme cold would even cause them to think twice about everyday activities.

"We've learned that the water-based moisturiser we use will freeze on the face in Siberia because of the cold," she said. "It's got to be an oil-based one."

Mr Duckett said they were excited about the eight-day trip which starts in Shipley on February 18 or 19 depending on flight availability.

"I've been thinking about what the Americans say about the cold," he said. "If it's 30 degrees below and the wind speed is 30mph then things will freeze in 30 seconds."

The trio will bring gifts for their Russian hosts, stocking up on what trip organisers say will be popular, including Yorkshire Tea, calendars, British-style chocolate, fragrances, T-shirts and sweatshirts featuring the school logo.

They will tour several schools, meeting teachers and pupils in the classroom, and are expecting to present a brief talk on how Bradford schools tackle multiculturalism.

An Education Bradford spokesman said: "The purpose is to learn from teachers in other countries and develop strategies for tackling boys' under-achievement."

Damart marketing director John Bottomley said they were always keen to help the local community.

"The teachers are giving up their holiday to help their pupils, the least we can do is make sure they keep warm."