A conference has been organised by the Northampton Excellence Cluster which has been working with 36 primary and secondary schools in the town.

Helen Jones, whose children attend Kingsthorpe Grove Primary, said it was important parents take a real interest.

She said relationships between parents and link workers was key to success.

Encouraged to stay

Parent have a role to play in school helping to raise standards and can help to make it a place where children enjoy learning but it is a case of teamwork, Mrs Jones said.

"At our school we have two brilliant link staff who work with parents and bring them into school to make it their home as well as the children's.

"It's no longer a case of dropping children off in the playground in the morning, going home and not being seen until the end of the day.

"They really want to encourage us to be in the school and to be seen and to help," she said.

Excellence Clusters are designed to bring the benefits of the Department for Skills and Education Excellence in Cities initiative to small pockets of deprivation.

There are currently 44 Excellence Clusters in operation across Britain.