Govt's primary focus on struggling pupils

Children falling behind will receive intensive catch-up teaching

Tuesday, 02, Sep 2008 01:44

Struggling primary school pupils are to receive intensive one-on-one tuition in maths, reading and writing under new government funding announced today.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) plans to invest £169 million over the next three years on the catch-up programmes, which will enable the number of children receiving assistance rising from around 23,500 at present to over 100,000 by 2011.

Around one in five children deemed to require the extra help by the government will receive help under three schemes. The Every Child A Writer and Every Child Counts schemes are being piloted from this month while the Every Child A Reader scheme is being expanded after a "highly successful" pilot.

Children's secretary Ed Balls said he believed the government has a "historic opportunity" to improve on accelerating improving standards over the last decade.

"By intervening early and using the kind of personalised tuition and support through trained teachers that parents want, we're on the verge of something truly exciting happening in our classrooms which is supported at home," he said.

"We are going to have to make a leap forward over the next decade, building on the significant increases we’ve had since 1997, if we are to achieve the world class education system I want to see."

His children's plan hopes to achieve at least 90 per cent of children achieving at or above expected levels in both English and maths at age 11.

Mr Balls added: "Achieving this target would have a massive impact on the standard of education in this country and make us a world leader."