A TRANSFORMED school is selling the secret of its success to schools across the country.

In 1998, only 38 per cent of pupils at Hurworth School, near Darlington, received five A*-C grade GCSEs. This year, it was 93 per cent.

Headteacher Dean Judson credits the turnaround to a teaching method called Assertive Mentoring.

Staff from Hurworth are now explaining the method to other headteachers - for a price.

The first conference on Assertive Mentoring - The Hurworth School Way takes place at Aston Villa Football Club, Birmingham, on November 29.

Admission is £225, and a large turnout is expected.

Mr Judson said: "If you talk to any other school, they will have old-fashioned mentoring.

"When I came here in 1996, we had it. A pupil would say 'I'm doing better', the teacher would say the pupil was doing worse, and then it was just left.

"Assertive mentoring, a system we developed, monitors progress very, very tightly. Individual targets are set, and strategies are put in place. Progress will be checked regularly, often every day.

"Intervention is the key. The assertive bit is making sure people do what they say they will do.

"It's very, very time intensive, but the results are worth it. By doing these conferences, we are hoping to benefit other schools."

The conference is being advertised in the national media, and leaflets are being sent to schools. More conferences are planned for next year.

Hurworth School's chief executive, Eamonn Farrar, said that Assertive Mentoring could soon be used abroad.

"In March next year, I am speaking on Assertive Mentoring in Frankfurt, Germany," he said.

"There will be about 40 or 50 heads there from British schools in Germany.

"Also, the director of the innovations unit at the Department for Education and Skills recently returned from India, where she told them about Assertive Mentoring. Schools there - including the largest school in the world - are interested.

"We have done well, and we want to help other schools. When I started, I wish I had had another school to learn from and offer advice.

"We're not retired consultants. What other schools are getting is advice from current expert practitioners."

Profit made from the conferences will be used to improve facilities at the school.

Hurworth is working in partnership with Model Learning, an education company. For more information, visit www.modellearning.com