SECONDARY school’s in East Lancs are being given extra cash to provide intensive tuition to failing pupils.

Schools in Blackburn with Darwen will receive £53,500, and a further £73,000 has been awarded to local schools in the Lancashire region – a total of £126,500.

The state-run schools will receive £500 per pupil. This ‘catch up’ premium will provide intensive tuition to those who have failed to reach the expected level of literacy and maths skills by the time they move to secondary school.

The eight East Lancashire schools to receive funding are Bowland High, Parklands High, St Christopher's CE High, Accrington Academy, Tauheedul Islam Boys' High School, St Wilfrid's Church of England Academy, Darwen Aldridge Community Academy and Primet High School in Colne. The two E Lancs schools receiving the most money are Accrington Academy, at £22,000, and DACA, at £27,500.

Figures from the Department for Education show only five per cent of pupils who did not manage to get Level 4 in both English and maths at Key Stage 2 went on to achieve five GCSEs at A* to C, including English and maths. Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg said: “The consequences for a pupil being left behind in the basics when they start secondary school can last for the rest of their education.

“The catch-up premium money being handed out to schools today will help pupils catch up with their peers as quickly as possible. Every child should have the chance to succeed and get off on the right foot when they start their new school.”