TEENAGERS in East Yorkshire schools will benefit from £500,000 worth of funding aimed at tackling the Local Education Authority's below average GCSE performance.

The Excellence Fund, which is only the second of its kind in the country, aims to boost grades which are currently just below the national average.

The cash, which has come from the council reserves, will also be used to increase school's budgets after last year's budget crisis.

The director of life long learning at East Riding of York Council, Jon Mager, said: "The allocation of £500,000 is a significant step forward for education in the East Riding. We are the second Local Education Authority (LEA) to develop such a scheme.

"Targeting funding on specific improvement is crucial in our drive to improve results for all secondary pupils."

Key Stage Four figures for GCSEs are currently below the national average, with 53 per cent of pupils achieving grades A to C.

East Riding is also the 17th worst-funded LEA in the country, and schools were put under considerable strain during last year's budget crisis.

The cash will be used to increase schools' budgets by 6.1 per cent and ease the pressures created by the crisis.

Schools will be able to put in bids for the cash by outlining how they would spend it to improve standards.

The head teacher of Woldgate School in Pocklington, Jeff Bower, welcomed the news and said the school would be likely to put in a bid for extra funding.

He said: "This money will be hugely beneficial to schools.

"Last year was a particularly bad year for funding and it makes this welcome.

"It is very much needed and there are so many things we could use it for."

Cabinet member for lifelong learning Coun Penny Peacock (Cons) said: "The Excellence Fund and the increase in base budget is a clear signal of the priority given to the schools by the council. It is now up to head teachers to deliver improved results."

Updated: 09:33 Wednesday, February 25, 2004