A MULTI-MILLION pound scheme to give schoolchildren in Hartlepool the best possible start in life has begun.

Work has started on a £1.2m City Learning Centre at Dyke House School that will house a range of the latest computer equipment.

Facilities at the centre, which will benefit pupils across the town, will include 60 personal computer stations, an Internet caf, recording studio, and drama and dance suites.

The centre is part of the £5m Excellence in Hartlepool programme, which comes under the Government's Excellence in Cities initiative to improve the performance of pupils in inner city and urban secondary schools.

Excellence in Hartlepool Co-ordinator John Collings said: "Our plans for the City Learning Centre were judged to be of a very high standard by the Department of Education and if the building opens as expected, in September, it will be the only one in the country to open on time.

"The centre will be a major asset, allowing us to promote new ways of teaching and learning that will benefit students of all ages."

The town's six secondary schools and the Local Education Authority are working together for the Excellence in Hartlepool programme, which includes a small Education Action Zone centred on Henry Smith School and a bid by Brierton School to become a specialist sports college.

Mr Collings said: "The Excellence in Hartlepool programme, which will run until March 2004, offers us a great opportunity to build upon the success of our education service since the council became unitary in 1996.

"However, it will mean a lot of hard work for everyone because challenging targets have been set for our secondary schools.

"If we are successful, we should see fewer pupils being excluded and more attending school and getting more good GCSE grades.