PUPILS will be bribed with prizes as part of a major campaign being launched today (Sept 16) in a bid to improve Oxfordshire's poor exam results.

Pupils will be rewarded for good exam results

Oxfordshire County Council's year-long Learning Matters campaign aims to engage the whole community -- parents, governors, businesses and community leaders -- in the drive to raise achievement, particularly at GCSE level.

Witney MP and Conservative shadow education secretary David Cameron was due to launch the campaign at Wood Green School, Witney, this morning.

The education authority is inviting businesses to sponsor prizes to encourage students to fulfil their potential at school.

Young people will be able to nominate supportive or inspiring classmates for awards, while schools will compete with each other for prizes ahead of a glamorous awards ceremony planned for April next year.

Events will be staged at schools across the county throughout the year to motivate pupils and parents and raise their aspirations.

They will include a touring coursework roadshow providing specialist support for pupils with their assignments, discussion forums for parents and a question time education event in March.

An online People's Pledge on the council's website will enable the public to show their support for the campaign.

Parents and businesses can get involved by becoming governors, hosting work experience students, supporting links with business, becoming a youth mentor or taking part in creative projects.

The campaign represents a new approach to raising attainment and follows a raft of measures put in place during the past two years.

While some schools have been improving, the county's overall exam performance has fallen in recent years, leaving it lagging behind similar neighbouring authorities.

High employment, parental apathy, the proportion of students educated privately and an uninspiring school curriculum have all been blamed for falling county standards.

In 2004, GCSE results fell for the third consecutive year to below the national average, with 51.2 per cent achieving the benchmark five A* to C grades -- well below the 56 per cent target. Early indications suggest the 2005 results are better than last year.

The council's cabinet member for schools improvement, Michael Waine, said: "Thanks to the hard work and efforts of pupils and teachers, the 2005 GCSE results are moving in the right direction. There is, of course, more work to be done to help young people across the county to achieve their potential.

"Supporting our children and young people is shared work and it is through everyone playing a part that we will raise aspirations and achievement."

Mr Cameron said: "We have some great schools in Oxfordshire. But more can always be done and I am tremendously impressed by the hard work of Learning Matters, which promises to give significant help to those struggling most in education."

Wood Green headteacher Cynthia Savage said she welcomed the initiative: "Schools already work in close partnership with parents and a wide range of community groups, businesses and employers and appreciate the valuable contribution they make to learning."

For more information, visit www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/learningmatters