The conversion of a Washington primary school into an academy has received approval from a duchess today.
The Duchess of Northumberland was at the Holley Park Primary School in Washington, which hopes becoming an academy will give it more control over its own affairs, and over its budget.
The Duchess was given a tour of the school and listened to the choir, before cutting a ribbon to symbolise the reopening of the school.
Holley Park Primary School in Washington has officially become the town's first academy.
The school's conversion into an academy follows an announcement from the government of plans to improve some of the country's weakest primary schools by turning them into academies.
The school hopes that the move to academy status will give it more autonomy and control over its own affairs, and greater control over its budget.
The Duchess of Northumberland was given a tour of the school and then listened to the school choir sing, before finally cutting the red ribbon to symbolise the reopening of the school as an academy.
The Duchess of Northumberland met youngsters who will be sleeping rough tonight and recorded a message of support for their campaign to highlight homelessness.
She also tried her hand at graffiti art, spray painting a giant red flower onto the wall of a community garden at the Ashington YMCA which she was visiting.