BOLTON has become a divided town with schools bearing the brunt of massive deprivation in some areas.

A damning council report paints a picture of Bolton as a town split between the children who have and those who do not.

The shocking report by education chiefs reveals that in some schools in poor areas up to 82pc of children qualify for free school meals.

And a massive 65pc of children in some schools have special educational needs.

The gap between the borough's schools has been highlighted in a report submitted to the Government by Bolton town hall.

Education chiefs urge the Government not to take guidelines such as below average unemployment rates for the whole town on face value when judging schools or allocating cash.

The report warns that Bolton looks like an average town but adds: "Deprivation studies taken locally and nationally show that within Bolton there are areas which are among the most deprived in the country."

Education chiefs refuse to name the schools, but point out that in some 62pc of children live in families in which everybody is unemployed - compared to just 3pc in classrooms in other parts of the town.

Over two thirds of pupils in some pockets of deprivation live in overcrowed homes compared to one percent of students coming from the more affluent areas.

And in some schools all but 2pc of families own cars but in others nearly three quarters of households do not have a vehicle.

Cllr Pauline Spencer said: "This shows the diversity of Bolton schools and why every school should be treated independently.

"Some schools have massive problems with poverty whereas others have virtually none.

"But the good news to come out of this is the way the heads work together for the benefit of all children in the borough."

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