A white mother is so concerned about black and mixed race pupils 'falling through' the education net, she is running a course on black history from her own living room.

Sue Funge, 53, used her experiences as a single mother to her son Rory, to create Going for Gold, which teaches young people of African Caribbean origin about their heritage, and encourages them to explore their own potential.

Four boys and two girls aged 10-16 are currently studying at Ms Funge's home in Greater Leys, Oxford.

And the free course is now being adopted by schools and even premiership football teams.

Ms Funge said: "As a white mother with a black son of mixed heritage I know there is a stereotype of black boys as troublemakers. And I feel that some teachers can be quite hard on them as a result.

"In the case of my own son Rory, who was quite a shy boy, this meant he became withdrawn and his education suffered. But for many young people, this focusing on negativity results in them becoming angry, and because they don't have a way of handling that anger, their behaviour becomes a self fulfilling prophecy."

In 2006, 47.5 per cent of the county's students achieved five or more A* to C grades at GCSE, but only 32.3 per cent of Oxfordshire's Black Caribbean pupils achieved the same five passes.

Government figures show that African and Caribbean pupils, and those of mixed white and Afro-Caribbean heritage, perform consistently below the national average throughout the school system.

Ms Funge said: "I find it very disappointing that black children are failing here in Oxfordshire, but I think Going for Gold could help.

"When it came to my own son I recognised the importance of equipping him with information about the significant contribution black people have made to British society.

"Going for Gold helps boys to learn about their heritage, to see what they are capable of and also shows them that school is a resource they can use to make a success of their lives. I would like to see all Oxfordshire's schools adopting this course."

Cameron Jones, 16, was suspended from school. He is now a student of Going for Gold alongside his GCSE studies.

He said: "Before I joined the course I hadn't heard of many of the important people from black history because I had never learned about them in school.

"As a black boy I sometimes feel that people take it for granted that I will cause trouble. But knowing about my history has inspired me and I now know I can do well. I hope to take an Army Foundation course after my GSCEs and eventually enter officer training."

Cameron's mother, Marie Jones, said: "It's great to see the course having such a positive effect on Cameron's self esteem, to the extent where he has been into the Army recruiting office to discuss his options on his own, which I don't think he'd have had the confidence to do a few weeks ago."

Tanya Prescott's son Addis is only 10, but she is thrilled with his involvement.

She said: "Addis loves the course and came home beaming with pride yesterday. I would like to see it taught to more year six children, because that year, just before they go up to secondary school, is a kind of limbo time when they have outgrown or are outgrowing primary school, but there's not much to stimulate them before they move on."

She added: "I am so pleased Addis got this opportunity. It's also great that at his age he is able to gain a qualification. I tell him it's evidence that he can do it and that it can be the first of many. I think Sue Funge has got something really powerful here."

The success of Going for Gold is now spreading to other parts of the country; The Bristol City Academy is incorporating the course into its mainstream curriculum for Year Nine students. And the premiership football clubs Fulham, Portsmouth and Southampton are considering running the Going for Gold course.

The Open College Network Oxford, Thames & Chiltern Ltd has endorsed Going for Gold, allowing students to gain a Level 2 qualification, equivalent to a GCSE and Oxford Brookes University is part-funding the course.