Children pored over Telegraph & Argus cuttings to improve their storytelling skills.

The youngsters, who used the newspaper as part of an English class, have given up their summer break to attend a summer school funded by the New Deal for Communities scheme.

About 70 boys and girls from the West Bowling, Marshfields and Little Horton areas of Bradford have signed up for six weeks of extra lessons in English, maths and science.

Funding for the summer school, which is based at Feversham School in Leeds Road, has come from the New Deal for Communities regeneration programme which aims to drive up educational standards in the inner city area.

Nawaz Khan, one of the New Deal elected community directors, and secretary of the Muslim Association of Bradford, said: "We are delighted with the response we have had from both young people and their parents. It shows a real commitment to raising educational standards among people in the area."

The summer school follows a successful pilot scheme last summer, also funded by New Deal under a 'Quick Win' grant. That one was for boys only, while this year's summer school is open to boys on Mondays and Tuesdays, and girls on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The pupils, who attend a variety of local schools, are enthusiastic in class.

Nine-year-old Sarah Khan, who normally attends St Matthew's School, said: "I get bored at home on Mondays and Tuesdays, I really enjoy coming here and seeing my friends."

A younger boy added: "This is better than school because it only lasts for three hours."

All the teaching is carried out by qualified teachers who base their lessons on the national curriculum, with one eye on SATs and GCSE courses.

Steve Hartley, chief executive of the New Deal for Communities, who visited the summer school and chatted to pupils, said: "We will be funding lots of great initiatives like the summer school over the next ten years.

"Improving results at schools for local young people is the cornerstone of our New Deal for Communities strategy. People with no qualifications have poor employment prospects, and jobs are crucial to a better quality of life."

Although SATs scores in the New Deal area show good performance up to the age of 11, only 12.3 per cent of pupils gain five or more GCSE grades at A to C, compared with 28.6 per cent for the district as a whole.