SECONDARY schools throughout Watford and the local area are to receive £4,500 to fund booster lessons in English, Mathematics and Science for 14-year-olds, it was announced this week.

News of the new grant was announced by Education and Skills Secretary Estelle Morris at a national conference for Local Education Authority (LEA) consultants and strategy managers held in central London on Wednesday, December 12.

In her speech, Mrs Morris said the recent initiative forms a key part of the Government's national drive to raise standards in the first few years of secondary school education.

The move follows growing concerns up and down the country regarding the slow progress currently being made by pupils, in core subjects, between the ages of 11 and 14 (Key Stage 3).

Recent evidence gathered from National Curriculum Key Stage 3 test results and Ofsted inspections, suggests that for too many, it is a period of falling motivation and rising dissatisfaction.

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

"But we must not forget that there are older pupils who also need extra support."

The government are to allocate a total of £14 million to schools throughout the country in an aim to achieve this.

She said: "Booster classes are a tried and tested way of giving pupils the confidence and ability to succeed at Key Stage 3, and this funding will enable thousands more pupils to get a little bit extra help before they embark on their GCSE courses."

The National Key Stage 3 strategy the Government's flagship programme to help schools improve the attainment of all 11 to 14-year-olds aims to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom by investing in teachers' development.

The strategy, first piloted in subjects of English and Maths in Autumn 2000 aims to achieve a number of key goals such as ensuring continuous progression from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 3 and providing opportunities for all pupils to benefit from a range of teaching approaches.

Teaching and Learning in the Foundation subjects and ICT are to be piloted this year and implementation of such programmes to be brought into force in 2002/2003.

The new funds will be made available to schools in Watford from January through the Standards Fund and will allow teachers and governing bodies to determine exactly how it can best be used to assist pupils in Year 9.

December 13, 2001 10:00