YOUNGSTERS from private and state schools in York have turned archaeologists as part of a ground-breaking £100,000 partnership.

Pupils from Archbishop Holgate's CE School and The Mount girl's school have been working together with the York Archaeological Trust and the city archives on the Hungate dig.

The youngsters are undertaking research into the 19th and 20th centuries and conducted a masterclass before presenting their findings to teachers.

Teachers Helen Snelson, from The Mount, and Sarah Hardwell, from Archbishop Holgate's, have created a resource pack about the Hungate site which will be sent out to city schools.

The Hungate site is due to house City of York Council's new headquarters.

The Press reported last year how the private and state school initiative will help up to 800 York pupils aged 12 and over, improve their understanding of applied sciences.

It will enable joint working between the city's ten state secondary schools, York College, Bootham School, The Mount and St Peter's, to support masterclasses for able, gifted and talented pupils.

Annette Aylett, the project's co-ordinator, said there are 18 pairs of teachers taking 18 masterclasses.

Mrs Aylett said: "The idea of the project is that this is an exchange of best practice between all of York's secondary schools and York College - the most gifted teachers working with the most gifted pupils.

"It's a challenge, it's exciting and it's an initiative from which we can all learn."

The classes focus on the application of science skills in five areas: health; society; the humanities; art; and the creative industries.

The lead schools in each category are: All Saints' RC - art; Manor CE - creative industries, health; Bootham - humanities; The Mount and Archbishop Holgate's CE - science in society.

The funding has also allowed teachers to work on their programmes with experts from the universities and heritage and business sector.

They will consult experts from the North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership (NYBEP, the University of York, York Museum's Trust, the Central Science Laboratory, at Sand Hutton, and Science City York.

The experts will provide advice, support and also some of the venues for the courses to be staged.

City education chief Coun Carol Runciman, said: "One of our priorities is to give young people the skills and knowledge to work in today's world of science and technology.

"This funding would give York's secondary schools, and our independent school partners, the chance to work together, developing master classes to bring high-level science teaching to young people."

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Should schools work together like this more often?