A singing sensation from America is performing in Northumberland alongside vocalists from the county.

Northern Harmony - the world music singing ensemble from Vermont, USA - are spending four song-packed days in Hexham this week as part of their 12th UK tour.

Hosted by Queen's Hall Arts and Tynedale Community Choir, Northern Harmony will deliver workshops, perform in Hexham Abbey and enjoy a musical exchange with some of Northumberland's finest singers and traditional musicians.

Plans to create a £3.5m centre of creativity for young people in Northumberland have come a step closer.

Designs for the Tynedale Creative and Media Skills Centre - next to Prudhoe Community High School - have gone on public display.

The centre will house state-of-the-art media production facilities in a leading edge building shared across the Tynedale Virtual College - a partnership of the four high schools in the area along with Northumberland College, Dilston College and Hexham Priory School.

List of school closures in Northumberland due to the snow »

Corbridge C of E First School is open today, but to local children only.

Northumberland County Council alerts and reminders »

Corbridge weather links »

Whittonstall First School was closed today due to access problems after overnight snow and sub zero temperatures.

The weather caused traffic chaos for commuters this morning.

A Met Office spokeswoman said: "There is a cold blast coming in and hitting the East of the country. This will be moving on to the West coast later in the weekend.

"We've issued severe weather warnings for the North East and we are expecting more snow and sleet showers and temperatures could drop as low as -5C. There's a risk of frost and there's a risk of disruption.

"People need to keep up with the weather forecasts and take care on the roads."

A co-ordinated approach is being taken across the region to combat any problems facing people in the event of a snow shower.

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Northumberland County Council website »

Outdoor playtime is now safer for youngsters at a Corbridge nursery following the installation of new security gates.

The gates were fitted at the Corbridge Pre-School group, based at the Methodist Church Hall in Princes Street, thanks to funding from SCA Hygiene Products of Prudhoe.

Bosses at a leading North East private school have come under fire for putting up pupils' fees to cover a teachers' pay rise... and then freezing staff salaries.

Parents who send their children to the exclusive Mowden Hall Preparatory School, near Stocksfield, have just seen their annual fees go up by almost 2.8% for the new academic year.

Earlier this year they received a letter saying the increase was necessary because almost 70% of the school's costs are in staff salaries, and the Government had awarded teachers a 2.3% pay rise for 2009/10.

Schoolchildren from one of the North's most remote communities have found themselves victims of a cross-border row over school transport.

The families of 15 youngsters say bosses of two councils have "washed their hands" of any responsibility over getting the children to school and back.

Neither Northumberland nor Durham County Council are prepared to continue providing transport to take the 15 youngsters from Hunstanworth, near Blanchland, to school in Northumberland.

Talented Tessa Smith is in a spin having just released her debut album.

And the former pupil at Hexham's Queen Elizabeth High School credits her former music teacher with putting her on the path to singing.

Now she hopes her first album will boost her career as a musician.

A major review is to be carried out amid fears that a declining population in Northumberland will force the closure of more small schools and harm rural communities.

A working group of county councillors will be given the task of investigating the likely future impact of demographic change on the demand for school places across the county.

It will try to identify how many schools are at risk of closure because of falling rolls and how council policies - such as in new housing development - can help tackle the problem.

Corbridge Middle School saw drops in its scores for English, maths and science in this year's Key Stage Two league tables.

The school saw the number of getting the targets levels go down to 86% in English, 77% in maths and 92% in science.

The results meant Corbridge was ranked 15th of the 45 middle and primary schools in Northumberland.

Go to Ofsteds and results page »