BBC News | EDUCATION | Cash to boost 14-year-olds' skills

Schools in England are to get cash to provide extra "booster" lessons for 14-year-old children.

Every secondary school will receive an extra �4,500 to provide lessons in English, maths and science for this age group.

Ministers are targetting 11 to 14-year-olds in their campaign to improve standards, because reports suggest that it is this age group which is most likely to switch off from education and become demotivated.

The Education Secretary Estelle Morris said that raising standards in the first few years of secondary school was the government's key priority.

Booster classes are a tried and tested way of giving pupils the confidence and ability to succeed

Estelle Morris, Education Secretary
"Until now, we have concentrated most of our efforts on raising standards for 11 and 12-year-olds, because our research shows that this is where many pupils don't make the progress they should," she said.

"Booster classes are a tried and tested way of giving pupils the confidence and ability to succeed at Key State three, and this funding will enable thousands more pupils to get a little bit of extra help before they embark on their GCSE courses."

Schools will receive the money in January and it will be up to them to decide how to run the extra lessons.

Department officials say pupils could have short tutorials during the school day, or extra classes before or after school.

The classes might involve one-to-one teaching or working in small groups.


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