TELL someone enough times that they are not going to amount to anything they will start to believe it.

This more than any other social factor, a head teacher says, is responsible for schoolchildren living in deprived areas not achieving as well as those living in areas considered to be "affluent".

Phil Mather, head of Withins School in Breightmet believes that "labelling" has a huge effect on pupils' performance.

His comments come in light of a report which found that 93 per cent of all children living in the most deprived areas of Bolton are failing to continue their education after leaving school.

The figures, compiled by Bolton Primary Care Trust also found in Tonge Fold, Tonge Moor, Breightmet, Farnworth, Kearsley, Deane, Johnson Fold and Hall i'th Wood that fewer than 20 per cent of children living in the most deprived areas in the centre and South-east of the borough achieve five A* to C grades. This is less than half the national average of 53.7 per cent of pupils achieving the standard.

Mr Mather said: "The figures are not a reflection of this school. Forty five per cent went on to further education in 2004."

But he added: "The biggest problem facing children coming from so called deprived areas is the lack of self-belief that they can't do it.

"Often in such areas there might have been a time of widespread unemployment and the message what is the point?' has got down to the children."

The headteacher said his philosophy was instilling self-belief in staff and children.

"The key message we want to get across is a pupils' background does not affect a child's intelligence. This is what we say to children all the time," he said, "Our aim here to raise achievements, raise aspirations and raise self-esteem."

Mr Mather was appointed as head to the school while it was in special measures.The Newby Road school head said that this coupled with "quality teaching" is what makes pupils achieve.

The simple policy has proved to be effective. Withins was one of the most improved schools in the country in the recently published secondary school performance tables showed the school had doubled its GCSE successes during the last four years.

The number of pupils achieving five A* to C grades has gone up from 18 per cent in 2002 to 36 per cent in last summer's exams The improvement means the school is no longer at the bottom of the Bolton league table.

Mr Mather, has vowed the school will among the town's top state schools in the next three years.

"When I came here, there was a problem with teaching, which we have tackled," he said.

"At the same time we get the message that hard work is good."

Year 11 co-ordinator at Harper Green, Sara Cain, said that lack of further education facilities in the south of the borough was a key obstacle to youngsters' progress.

"They have no choice but to travel to college, and transport costs are an issue for those on low income," said Mrs Cain.

Cllr Martin Cox, executive member for children's services said that extra-funding for children from deprived areas would make a difference.

"Quality teaching together with parental encouragement are the two most important factors," said Cllr Cox, who pointed to improvements at both Withins School and George Tomlinson.

"Extra funding is needed to deal with children from challenging backgrounds to give them the support they need."

He said that families in deprived areas had more issues to deal with, such as housing and income, than those from more affluent areas.

"We get good results at age 11 but they do not follow through to Key Stage three or four.

"Children start off enthusiastic but when they get in their teens they need the support, especially those from challenging backgrounds.

"Parents in deprived areas have more problems and may not be able to concentrate on their child's education as much as other families can."

Cllr Cox said that investment going in to these communities, such as the establishment of children's centres in Breightmet and Tonge Moor, would start to show results within a few years.