Bedfordshire County Council is applying for Beacon status for its efforts in increasing the attainment of under-achieving children.

The Beacon scheme is a Government scheme to identify excellence in local authorities.

The Education application highlights the groups who may traditionally underachieve such as traveller children, children in care and young mothers.

Among the achievements it is highlighting are the development of Personal Education Plans to keep better track of the education of children in care.

The authority has also launched a special unit to cater for the specific educational needs of pregnant schoolgirls and young mothers and has developed an Africam Caribbean Achievement team to tackle the long-standing problems of poor achievement of children in this ethnic group.

It is expected that the Government will award the status to approximately 50 councils. Shortlisting will take place in September and the successful applications will be announced in January 2001.

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