Pupils at a North-East primary school are taking up a traditional hobby with help from a special website developed in the region.

Year six classes at Jarrow Cross Primary School, in Jarrow, South Tyneside, will soon be participating in weekly knitting workshops, after learning the basics from Ch-arted.co.uk, a new site created at the Customs House arts centre, in nearby South Shields.

It offers various interactive ‘tools’ designed to develop interest and skills in art and design among children aged six upwards.

A group of Jarrow Cross teachers, children and their parents were recently given the chance to test the site’s Once Upon A Time resource, teaching youngsters about story telling through textiles.

Using easy to follow patterns and instructions the group were able to knit various characters and puppets to use to tell their own stories.

The session proved so popular that newly- appointed head teacher, Susan McBeth, decided to make it a regular feature of the timetable.

Weekly workshops will begin when the school spring term starts next week.

She said: “The taster session we held in partnership with Ch-arted.co.uk was extremely successful and we already have a group of children, parents and grandparents keen to carry on knitting.

“This was the first time we’ve taken such a creative approach to engaging our students.

“Thanks to the step-by-step instructions from Ch-arted it couldn’t have been easier.”

Ch-arted was launched by The Customs House in the autumn of 2011, backed by the Arts Council England, with ‘partner’ bodies, including both North and South Tyneside councils.

Further information is available via the website www.ch-arted.co.uk or by ringing the development team, on 0191-427 8197 / 88.