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A sample article from the Harrow Times by Jack Royston

What is the story?

BRENT pupils found out £80m of funding for their schools was axed the day they gave a presentation on how it should be spent.

Teenagers from four schools in the borough, including Copland Community School, in Wembley, pitched ideas to council bosses at Wembley Plaza Hotel, in Empire Way, on Monday.

But as they did so, education secretary Michael Gove announced in the House of Commons that money allocated for the rebuilding projects had been scrapped.

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Brent Council leader Ann John, who was at the event, said: “They were sitting there, they knew that it was a pretty awful decision that was made by the Government – they could tell by the reaction of their teachers.”

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The four projects, funded through a scheme called Building Schools for the Future (BSF), were intended to increase the number of places in the borough by 2,068.

Brent's population is growing rapidly, putting pressure on class sizes, and the Government's decision has sparked fears of a crisis if money is not found to push ahead with the plans.

The council has already spent close to £600,000 on the projects and is now back to square one, battling to attract Government funding through a spending review for the years 2011-12 and 2014-15.

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Cllr John said: “If we don't manage to expand schools and manage to rebuild some schools then crisis is not too strong a word to use.

“We are very short of places and we have a statutory duty to provide those school places.”

Councillor Mary Arnold, responsible for children and families, said the decision could mean children are taught in corridors.

Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, described the situation as “absolutely desperate”.

His questioning of Mr Gove in the House of Commons following the announcement was so fierce the speaker said it offended his sensibilities.

Mr Gove told the commons: “Even before we formed this coalition Government and had the opportunity to look properly at the scandalous mess we inherited, we knew Labour ministers had no proper respect for public money.

“The whole process by which the then Government procured new school buildings was a case in point.

“The Building Schools for the Future scheme has been responsible for about one third of all this department's capital spending, but throughout its life it has been characterised by massive overspends, tragic delays, botched construction projects and needless bureaucracy.”

The other three schools affected are Alperton Community School, Queens Park Community School and Cardinal Hinsley Mathematics and Technology College.

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A sample from the Harrow Times by Tristan Kirk

What is the story?

MORE than 25,000 have watched a music video created by a Scarborough school to raise money for a Harrow charity.

Scalby School pupils and teachers have recorded a version of Somewhere over the Rainbow/Wonderful World in memory of 14-year-old pupil Ellie Othick-Bowmaker who died on Valentine Day this year.

The song has been released on Amazon to raise money for Ali's Dream, a Harrow-based charity which is dedicated to furthering childhood brain tumour research.

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Jonathan Morgan, the school’s head of performing arts who produced the song and the video, said: “I have just been blown away by the response to the song. It is receiving views from right across the globe. We think it stands a great chance of getting into the charts.

“The main reason behind recording the song though was to raise funds and awareness of brain tumour charities.”

Ellie’s mother, Heather, said: “Every time I hear the song, it sends shivers down my spine. The fact that the school wanted to do it to raise brain tumour awareness has left me lost for words.

“It is the most underfunded of all the cancer charities and hopefully this will change that.”

Added information

For more information on the charity, you can click here