A NORTH-East university has won a training contract to provide courses for a new higher level of teaching assistants.

Northumbria University will train teaching assistants, who support teachers in primary, special and secondary schools and help pupils with their literacy and numeracy.

But as part of a Government agenda, a new role of higher-level teaching assistant will work with teachers, assisting them with more than just basic skills.

The University of Northumbria has won the contract from the Teacher Training Agency to help train 7,000 candidates nationally in the first year of the new scheme, and build up to an annual capacity of 20,000 across the country.

For more details of the scheme, contact Anne Middleton on 0191-227-6467.