THREE primary schools in Thornhill are to share in £3.4m to encourage children to learn and parents to return to the classroom.

Hightown, Kanes Hill and Thornhill Primary will each get a slice of the money from the Thornhill New Deal for Communities (NDC) programme and Southampton City Council.

The money will be spent on raising pupils' attainment and promoting learning among the community.

Projects will include new IT facilities for children and adults to help improve computer skills.

A part-time play therapy assistant will be appointed at each school to encourage pupils' creativity and to tackle any behavioural problems.

Speech and language therapy training will also be provided for staff to enable them to work with pupils who have speech development needs.

Other improvements in the pipeline will include landscaping outside all three schools to create play areas and the introduction of homework clubs.

New flexible multi-usage community spaces will also be created in each of the three schools for adult learners and a creche.

Southampton's Cabinet member for lifelong learning and training, Councillor Calvin Horner, said: "This is a very exciting project that looks set to make a huge impact on the primary education service in Thornhill.

"I am delighted that, by working with Thornhill NDC, we can try some new and innovative approaches to tackling the issues of raising pupil attainment and encouraging more community activities to take place in schools."

Geoff Annas from the New Deal for Communities programme board said: "I am sure that the huge investment in education will pay dividends, not just for the current families who will benefit but for many future generations.

"The NDC investment will promote a healthy and safe environment to enable the children to focus on learning."