SELECTED schools in North Yorkshire will receive help in a £250,000 scheme designed to provide extra support in areas with particular difficulties.

Although the county boasts high educational standards it is still expected to meet Government improvement targets.

Education chiefs believe one way forward is to target schools in areas where complex social issues make studying harder for the children.

Work has started in two Scarborough secondary schools and eight primaries.

The next phase is in the Colburn and Catterick area and then Selby.

Education service development manager, Carolyn Bird, said:"We are providing extra money and we are working with the local head-teachers to agree the structure of each locality strategy and the targets to be met.

"The schools themselves decide how to take it forward and develop their own plans

"By targeting the areas with problems the aim is to raise standards there and hence the average across the county.

"It is also expected to reduce the number of exclusions. Head teachers can find themselves run ragged dealing with children, parents, other support agencies and trying to teach, so we are putting in extra support to free their time to manage their schools."

The plans include extra staff training; adding to the curriculum using external dance and drama companies, more lunchtime activities and residential experiences.

The Catterick and Colburn strategy will focus on difficulties associated with the lifestyle of armed forces children, to reduce the effects of moving from school to school and country to country.