PUPILS at Darwen Moorland High School will receive training to support younger pupils in a bid to achieve higher standards in the school.

A group of 24 students from the school will take part in the Peer Tutor Programme aimed at young people between the age of 14 and 18.

The scheme, devised by the national education charity University of the First Age, will enable them to support younger pupils with their learning activities, out-of-school clubs and summer schools.

A peer tutor is a young person who takes on a role within an out-of-school hours learning context, where they can provide support to younger children.

On Friday, July 7, representatives from the local education authority, will be in school to train the students and once they become peer tutors, they will be supervised by learning mentors.

Ellie Whitlock, open learning supervisor at the school, said: "The value to the school and the wider community is that there is a readily available support network to assist younger students to potentially achieve higher standards in the school.

"The peer tutor programme is accredited through the Award Scheme Development and Accreditation Network (ASDAN) and other bodies which requires them to complete five hours of training and 25 hours of tutoring outside of school hours.

"This can be during lunch times, breakfast clubs and summer schools."