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£50m boost to improve Bolton's GCSE results
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SCHOOLS in Bolton are to receive a share of a £50 million windfall to help boost flagging GCSE results.
Extra teachers will be recruited for core subjects, with students promised "intensive support" ahead of exams.
Children and Young People's Minister Beverley Hughes is due at the Lowry Centre in Salford Quays today to launch the Greater Manchester Challenge.
It is a scheme aimed at making sure at least 30 per cent of pupils at every secondary school gain five A* to C grades including maths and English at GCSE by 2011.
Bolton's most recent schools performance tables show the borough has five schools which fall below the target - George Tomlinson, Harper Green, Hayward, Ladybridge and Withins.
Over the next three years, the Department for Children, Schools and Families will be working with Greater Manchester's 10 local authorities.
It will be investing the £50 million in a variety of schemes to raise aspirations among children from disadvantaged backgrounds and improve exam results.
The cash boost comes on the back of the announcement that Bolton has teamed up with Blackburn to launch a joint bid for £500 million to remodel or rebuild every secondary school in the borough.
If funding is approved, education chiefs hope the borough could be ready to sign up private construction and IT contractors to start work as early as 2012.
Mrs Hughes said the challenge funding would make a huge difference to Bolton.
She said: "I want Greater Manchester to show the rest of the country the way and break the cycle of underachievement."
"I want it to be a world-leading city-region for education and skills, and for all our young people to have high aspirations and ambitions."
Among the challenge scheme's initiatives are:
l Refresher classes for young people taking their GCSEs this year.
l Projects to encourage parents to become more involved in their children's education.
l More work to tackle truancy and advisors to link struggling schools with their more successful neighbours, with the aim of raising standards, particularly in the subjects of maths and English.
And later this month the Greater Manchester Student Awards will be launched with students in years nine and 10 invited to enter one of six categories for the opportunity to win prizes including a day with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra and a private tour of London's Globe Theatre.
The awards are aimed at helping develop pride amongst pupils in their schools.
Bolton's executive member for children's services Cllr Linda Thomas welcomed the extra cash.
"We are not certain yet how much Bolton will be allocated and we are waiting to learn the full details but any money to support classroom teaching will be great," she said.
7:49am Tuesday 6th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Soup, Bolton on 7:55am Tue 6 May 08
Cllr Linda Thomas welcomed the extra cash. Must be one of the educated one's Linda by welcoming extra cash.
Cllr Linda Thomas welcomed the extra cash. Must be one of the educated one's Linda by welcoming extra cash.
Posted by: Voter, Heaton on 8:14am Tue 6 May 08
One could despair. All this money is aimed at producing in the future a situation where still less than a third of pupils will obtain any results at all, and what are still poor results which would be seen as a disaster at Bolton School or Bury Grammar School or Canon Slade, St Joseph's Horwich and the other Church schools. What needs to be done in the poor schools is to restore discipline. Don't blame the teachers; it's the fault of the government which has taken away all punishments. Let the teachers punish recalcitrant pupils and restore order. Without discipline nothing will be achieved in any school.
One could despair. All this money is aimed at producing in the future a situation where still less than a third of pupils will obtain any results at all, and what are still poor results which would be seen as a disaster at Bolton School or Bury Grammar School or Canon Slade, St Joseph's Horwich and the other Church schools. What needs to be done in the poor schools is to restore discipline. Don't blame the teachers; it's the fault of the government which has taken away all punishments. Let the teachers punish recalcitrant pupils and restore order. Without discipline nothing will be achieved in any school.
Posted by: BoltonDave, Tonge Moor on 9:22am Tue 6 May 08
Absolutely spot on there Voter!
The whole education system has suffered because of the lack of discipline and respect, and of course this has had a knock-on effect out of school hours which is why there are so many scumbag kids creating havoc in their local communities.
Absolutely spot on there Voter!
The whole education system has suffered because of the lack of discipline and respect, and of course this has had a knock-on effect out of school hours which is why there are so many scumbag kids creating havoc in their local communities.
Posted by: Carl_XVI_Gustaf, Sverige on 12:17pm Tue 6 May 08
If the inhabitants of Council estates were sterilised this would lead to a reduction in the percentage of puils leaving school with no qualifications
If the inhabitants of Council estates were sterilised this would lead to a reduction in the percentage of puils leaving school with no qualifications
Posted by: Carl_XVI_Gustaf, Sverige on 12:17pm Tue 6 May 08
If the inhabitants of Council estates were sterilised this would lead to a reduction in the percentage of pupils leaving school with no qualifications
If the inhabitants of Council estates were sterilised this would lead to a reduction in the percentage of pupils leaving school with no qualifications
Posted by: Ali on 2:40pm Tue 6 May 08
Bring back Grammar schools.
Education has gone downhill since they were abolished.
The less academic should be given Apprenticeships, or other training instead of being herded towards University on a dumbed down course.
Bring back Grammar schools.
Education has gone downhill since they were abolished.
The less academic should be given Apprenticeships, or other training instead of being herded towards University on a dumbed down course.
Posted by: Tommy on 3:19pm Tue 6 May 08
50p, £50, £50,0000, £50m - it's all money thrown at a problem which can never be solved by money.
Typical.
50p, £50, £50,0000, £50m - it's all money thrown at a problem which can never be solved by money.
Typical.
Posted by: VM User, Bolton on 8:23pm Tue 6 May 08
Madness, if in doubt throw money at it??
Every governments plan so far!
Madness, if in doubt throw money at it??
Every governments plan so far!
Posted by: Jean, Bolton on 8:31pm Tue 6 May 08
[quote][bold]Carl_XVI_Gustaf[/bold] wrote:
If the inhabitants of Council estates were sterilised this would lead to a reduction in the percentage of pupils leaving school with no qualifications[/quote] How dare you assume that council estates are full of children with less ability than "private" estates. My children were all brought up on a council estate, and they all left school with good grades, they also have good jobs.
Who are you to dictate that people should be sterilised because they are council tenants.
Where's your proof that children from "private" estaes do better at exams?[bold]bold[/bold] [bold]bold[/bold]
Carl_XVI_Gustaf wrote:
If the inhabitants of Council estates were sterilised this would lead to a reduction in the percentage of pupils leaving school with no qualifications
How dare you assume that council estates are full of children with less ability than "private" estates. My children were all brought up on a council estate, and they all left school with good grades, they also have good jobs.
Who are you to dictate that people should be sterilised because they are council tenants.
Where's your proof that children from "private" estaes do better at exams?
Posted by: Jean, Bolton on 8:33pm Tue 6 May 08
Spelling error on previous post. It should read "estates"
Spelling error on previous post. It should read "estates"
Posted by: jlo, bolton on 11:59am Wed 7 May 08
The difference lies in the interest shown by some parents in their children, and a distinct lack of it by others. Unless this problem is addressed, nothing will really change.
The difference lies in the interest shown by some parents in their children, and a distinct lack of it by others. Unless this problem is addressed, nothing will really change.
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