THE Tisbury cluster of schools has become the first in the south-west to join a national programme to research new ways to teach children.

The schools, together with a similar cluster in Gloucestershire, have been granted £300,000 of government money to look at how children learn.

The funding, to be spread over three years, is from Network Learning Community and is part of an initiative to explore how individual children learn, and the best teaching style to bring out potential.

The Tisbury cluster of schools has already collaborated for many years to enhance the education of children in the area and this will take that co-operation a stage further.

Viv Johnson, headteacher at Semley School and co-leader of the project, said: "The programme gives us the chance to share our expertise and learn from schools further afield.

"We are proud to be part of this national plan and to have this opportunity for the teachers and children in our care.

"This is an excellent time to focus on and develop the very best in our schools, as we move forward to primary status."

Examples of the sort of thing that will be researched is how music affects learning and children's behaviour (such as the known calming effect of Mozart), and how movement can help children retain information.

The project was formally launched in individual schools last Thursday with various events, celebration cakes and purple and green balloons.

The Tisbury cluster consists of Chilmark, St John's Tisbury, Ludwell, Semley and Wardour.

And the bid for funding from the National College for School Leadership was put together by the Tisbury cluster in Wiltshire and the Tyndale cluster in Gloucestershire, with support from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire county councils and Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Initiative for Staff Training.