The 235-pupil Richardson Dees School in High Street East in Wallsend (population 10,000) has twinned with the 45-pupil first school at Bellingham (population 845) so that the rural and urban children can learn about each other's worlds.

Tabbitha Garratt, age 10, from Wallsend

Richardson Dees teacher Bridget Lynch said: "Many of the children haven't ventured further than Wallsend before.

Bellingham Middle School and Bellingham First School are open today to local children, although school transport is not running.

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From initial design to planting native tree species, all 12 pupils from Kielder First School helped to create a bog habitat in their village.

Wildlife experts are hoping the fruits of their labour will attract 26 new species of flora and new wildlife to England's most remote village.

For exam results from other Northumberland schools around Bellingham see the Hexham, Haltwhistle, Morpeth and Ponteland microsites.

View comparative tables for Northumberland schools: Key Stage 2, GCSE, Post-16.

A working group of county councillors will be given the task of investigating the likely future impact of demographic change on the demand for school places across the county.

It will try to identify how many schools are at risk of closure because of falling rolls and how council policies - such as in new housing development - can help tackle the problem.

Parents or schools with worries should contact the transport unit on (01670) 533644 or 533673.

The 14-year-old is so good that expert Northumbrian piper Kathryn Tickell has taken the young genius under her wing and is proving to be far better than folk musicians twice her age.

Jessica picked up the pipes when her name was plucked out of a hat at school. There was one set of hired pipes and too many wanted to play.

The school saw the number of its children getting the target level in English jump from 79% in 2007 to 89% last year. But there were reductions in the number of children hitting required levels in maths and science.

The results meant Bellingham was ranked 16th of the 45 middle and primary schools in Northumberland.

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Bellingham First School
Greenhaugh First School
West Woodburn First School
Wark Church of England First School
Otterburn First School
Kielder Community First School

For Ofsted reports from other Northumberland schools around Bellingham see the Hexham, Haltwhistle, Morpeth and Ponteland microsites.

Northumberland County Council Children's Services Ofsted survey

Some of the winners at the event at Hexham, with stars Chris Cook, left, and Nick Gillingham adding support

The competition, held at the Wentworth Leisure Centre in Hexham, saw 80 children aged eight to 15 compete in a range of events, including team relays, individual front crawl, breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke.

The number of children at the school getting five or more GCSEs at A*-C, including English and maths, went up from 61% in 2007 to 69% in 2008, making it the second most successful school in the county.

The Liberal Democrat--run county fulfilled an election pledge last year by axing the £360 annual charge for a bus pass for college students and sixth formers who commute more than three miles.

Lynn Roxburgh says it is unfair to make rural families pay.

Scrapping the charge - described as an unfair tax on rural families - has sent the number on school buses up from fewer than 800 early last year to more than 2,000 now.

Northumberland's new mobile planetarium has already travelled the length of the county bringing the night skies to life for children, and has been booked up until May with visits to many more schools planned.

The planetarium has been to middle schools in Corbridge and Berwick as well as St Wilfrids Middle School in Blyth.

The county is judged as outstanding in the categories of staying safe, making a positive contribution, and capacity to improve. It is rated as good at overall effectiveness, being healthy, enjoying and achieving, and achieving economic well being.

Bellingham Community Middle School

Otterburn First School
Greenhaugh First School
West Woodburn First School