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

Although the county boasts among the highest educational standards in the country, it is still expected to meet Government improvement targets.

Officials believe one way forward is to target schools in areas where complex social issues make studying harder.

Work has already begun in two Scarborough secondary schools and eight primaries.

The next phase is due to start soon in the Colburn and Catterick area, followed by Selby, as the two-year "locality strategies" roll out across the county.

"We are providing extra money and we work with headteachers to agree the structure of each locality strategy and the targets to be met," said Carolyn Bird, the education service development manager.

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

By targeting 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.

"Headteachers 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," said Miss Bird.

The plans include extra staff training, adding to the curriculum to make it more interesting for the children - such as using external dance and drama companies - and more lunchtime activities and residential experiences.

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