A BUMPER lottery grant is being put towards interactive courses which help to improve the confidence of Year 6 pupils in Barrow ahead of the jump to secondary school.

Earlier this year, the Inspiring Barrow project, which aims to raise aspirations and inspire schoolchildren across the town, was awarded a £250,000 lottery grant over the next three years.

As part of the scheme, David Cassidy has set up Kickstart, an initiative which brings together Year 6 pupils from across Barrow for an evening of fun after school activities.

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Eleven schools are currently involved in the programme which sees Mr Cassidy pick up youngsters from different schools across the week in a minibus and take them to a workshop where they do an hour's worth of confidence building activities.

Mr Cassidy said: "It's all about the social aspect of getting them to interact with each other, co-operate with other children and let them showcase their skills.

"We're hoping that this will show that every child has a different learning style and ultimately that every child has something different they can contribute to the classroom."

As part of the workshop, children do catching activities which requires them to communicate with each other and a memory test which sees one pupil selected as a leader who must delegate responsibilities to the rest of the team.

Mr Cassidy, who has 20 years of teaching experience to his name, taught adults in America before returning to the UK in 2010 where he helped educate the long-term unemployed.

He started this new role in September and has enjoyed seeing the children progress over the last month.

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Mr Cassidy said: "One girl didn't have the confidence to come on the bus the first time she joined but after enjoying the programme she now comes on with everybody else so we are seeing small steps being made.

"We hope it will have a big impact. To be in this position and to have a chance to make the most of it with the investment over the next three years is a great opportunity that we can't pass up."