THREE primary schools in the region have been added to the list of beacon centres aimed at improving standards of writing.
The announcement of new beacon schools by Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett takes the regional tally to 24.
All three of the new beacon schools in the North-East are Roman Catholic primaries: Holy Family, in Darlington; St Edwards, in Middlesbrough; and St Teresa's, in Newcastle.
The network of writing beacons will see teachers sharing information on methods of instruction, with the aim of:
l Effective teaching of writing during the literacy hour for children aged five to 11
l Setting clear writing targets for pupils and classes
l Implementing a clear plan of action to raise standards of writing for all pupils.
Mel Hughes, headteacher of Holy Family RC, said: "We are highly delighted to receive beacon school status and see our role to be one of partnership with others. This will involve sharing approaches to teaching and planning across the curriculum but especially in the area of literacy."
The national literacy strategy includes instruction for all teachers of nine and ten-year-olds on grammar and writing, as well as writing training for all primary headteachers.
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