HOMEWORK centres set up to help Asian children with their schoolwork are having a dramatic effect on their exam successes.

In the last three years results at one school in Nelson have swung from 17.5 per cent of Pakistani children getting no GCSEs to less than one per cent this year. The centres are organised by the Ethnic Minority Achievement Project based in Gisburn Road, Barrowford, and the Pendle Pakistan Welfare Association.

High school pupils can attend any of the sessions and get help from qualified and experienced teachers. There is no charge.

There are now nine homework centres in Pendle, all but two based in Nelson.

The improvement in GCSE results was at Edge End High School. Headmaster Martin Burgess said staff at the homework centres did outstanding work.

He added: "The partnership of the school, Ethnic Minority Achievement, the PPWA and Youth and the Community has produced an improvement in the results of pupils entered for GCSE from a Pakistan background enormously."

The new session for homework centres begin on Monday 23. Community education support worker Mohammed Sarfas said although the centres are for Asian pupils no child would ever be turned away.

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