Pupils who are struggling to reach GCSE standard will be given more personalised teaching following a Government cash injection.

Education chiefs at Bradford Council will be given £246,000 as part of a £20m investment in Foundation Learning.

Dubbed “stepping stone” learning, it will boost pupils up to the standard needed for either GCSEs, apprenticeships or diplomas.

From September, the pupils will get specialised teaching, often with a vocational focus, personal tuition in school, small class sizes, extra support for maths, English and ICT and learning mentors or off-site work-based provision.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families said it will be at the discretion of local authorities how they wish to spend their money.

Ministers say about half of 14 to 19-year-olds that could benefit from Foundation Learning have special educational needs or learning difficulties.

Schools Minister Iain Wright said: “We are making historic reforms at 14-19 level, and Foundation Learning is a vital element of this programme.

“It is so important we give proper, personalised support to those young people who need it and the great strength of Foundation Learning is that pupils’ options are kept open.

“The pilot schemes have shown us there’s strong demand for Foundation Learning and there’s growing evidence it has a very positive impact on young people’s attainment.”

The roll-out of Foundation Learning is the Government’s latest move towards raising the participation age which will see all 17-year-olds, from 2013, and all 18-year-olds, from 2015, staying in education or training.

The cash is in addition to the announcement in December that Bradford will receive more than £3m to pay for one-to-one tuition for students struggling with maths and English.

Councillor Michael Kelly, Bradford Council’s executive member for children and young people’s services, said: “We welcome this funding because it will give students the support they need to get qualifications.

“They will be able to fulfil their potential. It will work with our Be Someone campaign which we are continuing to move forward, and funding of this sort will assist in raising aspirations, skills and talents which is what we are doing with the campaign.”