FOUR deprived areas of the region are set to benefit from an injection of cash to help improve education standards.

The small Education Action Zones were announced today as part of the Government's Excellence in Cities programme.

Parts of Hartlepool, Sunderland, Newcastle and North Tyneside will all benefit from £250,000 a year for educational programmes.

They will also be able to get up to £50,000 a year to match funding from business partners.

Schools Standards minister Estelle Morris said: "Since 1998 English, Maths and Science results for 11-year-olds in the first 25 Education Action Zones have improved by 12,16 and 20 per cent respectively, faster than improvement in other schools.

"They have shown early signs of success in reducing secondary truancy too and I hope that the focused support and targets in these zones will make a real difference to improving the schools involved.

"A partnership approach is essential and I am pleased that the private sector is putting substantial additional resources into zones with more than £37m pledged nationally to all Education Action Zones to date."

The money for north Hartlepool will be used to improve attendance and punctuality of pupils, increasing achievements as well as raising literacy, numeracy and information technology standards in years five to six.

In Benfield, Newcastle, there will attempts to improve literacy as well as transition from primary to secondary school.

There will also be moves to improve results in core subjects.

In Sandhill View in Sunderland there will be Summer schools to promote social inclusion as well as attempts to raise general standards.

And in Willington on North Tyneside, the money will be used to promote out-of-hours activities as well as teaching through information technology.

Updated: 15.48 Friday, March 30.