Primary schools in Ashington participate in project looking at town's history and future prospects

Ashington to the Future is already underway at Bishop’s Primary School, and will also take place at fellow Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust schools Thomas Bewick Primary School and James Knott Primary School in the coming weeks.

Year five pupils at Bishop's have so far been visited by staff from Northumberland Archives who helped them decipher the county's oldest document, which is written in Latin and dates from 1156.

They have also had a virtual tour of the town’s historic sites, played the Ashington to the Future board game, and interviewed members of the Ashington Veterans and Elders Institute after learning about oral history.

In the coming weeks the children will visit The Farrell Centre at Newcastle University and meet architects and engineers at Northumbria University.

They will be taught how to use design software to create buildings for their future vision of Ashington, which will be produced with a 3D printer for a community exhibition.

Headteacher at Bishop's Primary School Mrs Marriott said: “This is a tremendous opportunity to engage children in thinking about their community, their town, and how it has been shaped by a rich history and deserves an exciting future.

“The many opportunities, skills, and activities that this project affords the children certainly brings their learning to life.

“They will never forget this and I am sure we are creating future city planners, engineers, and architects.

“We are extremely grateful to all parties involved in the development, funding, and delivery of the project.”

Funding for the project comes from the Platten Family Trust, which supports education and training projects in the region, via the Community Foundation Tyne and Wear and Northumberland.

Mr Dinsley, deputy headteacher at Thomas Bewick Primary School, said: “We are very lucky and privileged to be able to provide our children with such an exciting opportunity and cannot wait to see the project's outcomes.

“We are hoping to be involved in a showcase of the children's work following the conclusion of the project.”