The local students won the right to represent the Hunter - Central Coast Region at the state finals after spelling their way to the top at the regional final in September.

Local students battling it out in this year’s State final are:

* Christopher Cooper from Gorokan Public School (junior);

* William Clark from Somersby Public School (junior);

* Joshua Kelly from Wadalba Community School (senior); and

* Amy Wright from Kincumber Public School (senior).

A total of 35 students from across NSW will compete against each other in each division – junior and senior.

A record 87,449 students from across the state signed up for the competition this year – a 22 per cent increase on last year, and a 49 per cent increase on participation in 2007.

The Premier’s Spelling Bee is part of the NSW Government’s $616 million four-year investment to further improve literacy and numeracy rates at NSW public schools, which have some of the highest literacy and numeracy rates in the world.

The state final will be held at the ABC Centre, Sydney, with the junior finals for years 3 and 4 from 9.30am to 12.30pm, and the seniors from 2pm to 6pm.

The final half-hour of the senior competition will be broadcast live on ABC local radio from 5.30pm.

The winners receive a gold medallion, a 5th Edition Macquarie Dictionary and a Macquarie Schools Electronic Dictionary from Franklins Electronics.

For more information on the Premier’s Spelling Bee visit www.pau.nsw.edu.au .