SCHOOLS in East Lancashire look set to get as much as £6,000 extra each this year as part of a £3.2million Government windfall announced today.

Lancashire County Council's local education authority, which controls schools in Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Hyndburn and the Ribble Valley, has secured a grant of £3,218,031 from the Department of Education and Employment to help employ more teaching assistants in schools.

And County Coun Hazel Harding, chairman of the authority's education and cultural services committee, said the extra cash equated to about £4,500 extra for a typical primary and about £6,000 extra for a typical secondary school.

The money does not include schools under the local education authority at Blackburn with Darwen Council. Coun Harding went on: "We want all schools in Lancashire to receive a share of this money.

"Most of the money will be used by schools to employ additional teaching assistants with the rest of the funds used to provide training.

"We expect to receive continuing grant support next year."

The news comes just weeks after education in the area received a multi-million pound government boost to raise standards and set up after schools clubs. In that round of grants announced by the DFEE, Lancashire County Council received an extra £7million worth of funds while Blackburn with Darwen Council got a further £1million.

The latest grant has also been awarded as part of the government's national drive to raise standards.

The new teaching assistants will work with specific year groups or subject responsibilities, and more nursery nurses will be provided in primary schools.

Assistants will also be trained to support children with special needs.

A spokesman for the county council went on: "The grant is also intended to cover training for experienced teaching assistants, including those undertaking the special teacher assistant certificate.

"The Government is also developing a package of introductory training materials for use from Autumn 2000 to introduce teaching assistants to their roles and responsibilities."

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