Action is to be taken to help under-achieving Tang Hall pupils scale the heights of educational success.

The community have got together to draw up a plan aimed at beating issues on the estate blamed for poor school results.

They range from poor housing, low income families, drug problems, a lack of entertainment for young people and crime.

Council officers have met with police, health experts, social workers, head teachers and community leaders in an effort to beat the problems.

But the emphasis of the initiative is helping the community to help itself.

Latest figures show that young people in Tang Hall are achieving less educationally than in other parts of York.

Only 27 per cent of Tang Hall youngsters sitting GCSEs this year gained grades between A and C, compared to the city average of 50 per cent. In the city, 67 per cent of 14-year-olds are achieving educational standards expected of them. In Tang Hall the figure is only 51 per cent. But the battle is on to turn the tables.

Mike Peters, director of education services with City of York Council, said: "Tang Hall is one of York's most disadvantaged communities and this initiative is aimed at helping people get a better economic future. The key thing is getting different parts of the council and other organisations working together so we can have what the Government would call a 'joined-up' solution.

"The aim is to reach the city's mean for educational achievement, and to go beyond that."

To do that the community is aiming to deal with all of the issues which stand in the way of education on the estate.

Mr Peters said: "There are a lot of issues which have an impact on the community and together we are looking at all of them, including housing, social care, health, crime and education.

"We are getting everybody together to find out what we should be working on to make a difference. For the first time in Tang Hall we are uniting all the different players and using what they say to agree certain key things which will really make a difference."

Community leaders have already had their first meeting to form the action plan, with further consultations expected soon.

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