FOUR deprived areas of the region are to benefit from an injection of cash to help improve education standards.

The small Education Action Zones were announced yesterday as part of the Government's Excellence in Cities programme.

Parts of Hartlepool, Sunderland, Newcastle and North Tyneside will benefit from £250,000 a year for educational programmes.

They will also be able to get up to £50,000 a year of match-funding from business partners.

Schools Standards Minister Estelle Morris said: "Since 1998, English, maths and science results for 11-year-olds in the first 25 Education Action Zones have improved by 12, 16 and 20 per cent, respectively, faster than improvement in other schools.

"They have shown early signs of success in reducing secondary truancy, too, and I hope that the focused support and targets in these zones will make a real difference to improving the schools involved."

The money for North Hartlepool will be used to improve attendance and punctuality of pupils, increasing achievements as well as raising literacy, numeracy and information technology standards in years five to six.

In Benfield, Newcastle, there will attempts to improve literacy as well as transition from primary to secondary school, and improve results in core subjects.

In Sandhill View, Sunderland, summer schools will promote social inclusion as well as attempting to raise general standards.

In Willington, North Tyneside, money will be used to promote out-of-hours activities, as well as teaching through information technology