They're going to be responsible for the next generation and that next generation will be entering the school system within the next five years

Centre manager, Jill Glazzard

But far from a future filled with despair and lack of ambition, both girls now exude confidence and believe they are actually getting their lives together.

They attend the Beckhampton Centre in Nottingham, a special unit for pregnant schoolgirls and teenage mums where they often receive one-to-one tuition or work in small groups.

Emma is now taking GCSE maths and English and hopes to become a midwife.

"I'm getting something done for once," she said. "I'm not going to give up."

Jade, too, is also planning to go to college.

Weak provision

The government wants to reduce teenage pregnancies by half over the next 10 years.

A special report by its Social Exclusion Unit heard numerous cases of teenage girls being "pushed out" of schools after becoming pregnant.

It concluded that special units like Beckhampton had positive results and often encouraged young mothers to return to education.

But it said that nationally such provision was often very weak.

Jill Glazzard, who runs the Beckhampton centre, said a continuing education was the key to breaking the cycle of teenage pregnancies.

She said: "There's this idea that you're pregnant, you'll have to leave school and that's the end of your life basically. We are adamant that's not going to happen.

"It's important that they carry on because they're going to be responsible for the next generation and that next generation will be entering the school system within the next five years.

"It's important that we set those foundations now so that the cycle isn't repeated."