GWENT children as young as ten are getting a taste of how to start a business.

Ten schools in Newport have taken part in a Welsh Development Agency scheme called Dynamo, which encourages Year 6 classes of ten- and 11-year-olds to have a go at setting up a business.

Twenty-three children from Clytha Primary School are among the first to take part in the scheme, run by the Welsh Development Agency with the National Assembly and ACCAC, a Welsh authority for advancing education and training.

Nerys Tudor Jones teaches the Year 6 class, which is one from ten pilot schools, including Waunfawr Primary School, Cross Keys, now coming to the end of a year's work on the Dynamo project.

Deputy head Julie Wood explained the pupils are now selling their products to their friends and parents after a year of learning how to turn an idea into a business venture.

She said: "The children have developed their marketing skills, as well as working in groups, to give them an idea of the social skills involved in working as a team on a project."

Business ventures ranged from selling plants to producing bags of herbs and spices, and children got the chance to work on their writing, maths and IT skills.

Teachers at the school suspect there could be a few budding entrepreneurs in the class.

Ms Wood said: "The children have enjoyed the project and it has been a great success."

Now 40 more schools in the area are getting involved. Susan Morgan, from the WDA, said: "We are holding training days for teachers at the moment. One last week was attended by 19 teachers, and another, on July 7, is due to have another 20."

She said the pilot, launched last year, had been a success and is pleased to have so many new schools getting involved.

She added: "In November we are starting training on the project in Torfaen."