ONE of the country's leading boys' schools is to let television crews behind the scenes for the first time.

Staff at Ampleforth College, near Helmsley, have agreed to a one-off documentary to be shown on ITV.

As part of the fly-on-the-wall programme, staff and pupils at the school will be getting used to the camera crews as they spend the term filming what goes on.

James Darley, of Ampleforth College and Abbey, said the boys would have to get used to the crews as they filmed lessons, sports and other activities.

"It's very much focused on the school," he said. "I suppose you could call it a fly-on-the-wall programme - it's what TV people call an observational documentary.

"They will be observing and filming what goes on around them for the whole of this term."

Mr Darley said the programme would look at the college's links with Ampleforth Abbey, which celebrates its bi-centenary this year.

"Their interest derives from wanting to explore today's relevance in a secular world of a school which still has a monastic tradition."

The ITV documentary is due to be screened early next year.

Updated: 10:56 Thursday, September 26, 2002