BOLTON teachers have been sent to the top of the class for helping children improve their grasp of English and maths. Once again primary pupils in the town have turned out their best test results ever in those vital subjects. Several years ago education chiefs launched an attack on literacy standards because Bolton children were lagging behind classmates in other parts of the country.

And over the past years it has shown 75 per cent of Bolton children passed basic English this year -- 10 per cent up on 1998.

And 73 per cent passed Key Stage Two maths -- compared to 60 per cent two years ago. Education chiefs are now praising the hard work and dedication of local school teachers for the outstanding results.

It follows a government initiative, which started last September, to improve the literacy and numeracy in schools nationwide.

Chief advisor for Education, Brian Shaw, said: "It is marvellous news. It is all down to the hard work of the teachers who are very committed to it.

"Other LEAs have rebelled against it -- but not Bolton.

"This town and its teachers have gone hell for leather and schools have done a great job."

The government has now revealed it will spend an extra £15 million in helping schools, including those in Bolton, to achieve better results next year.

Bolton already has four literacy and numeracy consultants who jumped on the education band wagon six months before the government scheme became official.

David Sparks, numeracy advisor for Bolton LEA, said: "It's good news. Teachers deserve some good news for all the hard work that has been put into it.

"But I am not surprised at the success. Bolton started improving literacy and numeracy well before the government introduced this. This meant we got the pick of the crop in consultants and advisors who now work very closely with schools."

The exams are taken by children at seven, 11, 14 and school leaving age to ensure pupils are able to read, write and carry out arithmetic.

The new government figures mean Bolton is well on target to achieve the government's goal of schools having an 80 per cent success rate by 2002.

Nick Padfield, advisor in English for Bolton LEA, said: "We are now bang on target which is wonderful news.

"I am delighted. It has all been down to the enthusiasm of the local teachers and pupils themselves."