A PRESTON comprehensive with more than three quarters of its September intake deemed special educational needs is running summer classes to help pupils prepare for high school.

Ribbleton Hall High has a large catchment area of low ability children, according to Mike Robinson, director of educational access at the school in Ribbleton Hall Drive.

This year 78 per cent of newcomers will be referred to the school's educational access department, which helps children with learning disabilities and those in council care.

And 30 of them will attend the summer school, one of the first in the country for pupils with special educational needs (SEN).

The feeder schools for Ribbleton Hall High include Moor Nook, Ribbleton Avenue Methodist, Grange County, Greenlands County and Brockholes Wood, and they are responsible for assessing whether the children fall into the SEN category.

Mr Robinson said: "These children are often vulnerable. Because of their low ability it's difficult for them to settle and the summer programmes prepare them for the curriculum and their new teachers.

"We aim to make learning fun with an emphasis on literacy and numeracy. We use a lot of computer programmes for maths and we receive a lot of support from the primary schools."

All pupils will be assessed by the staff at the summer school and placed in sets in line with their ability in the first term.

"One pupil may have literacy problems and be in set six for English, but they may be very good at maths and in set one," explained Mr Robinson. "The children with special educational needs are integrated, but if we feel they need extra numeracy and literacy support they will be given it. All the summer school places are full and the children are genuinely excited."