Maths results in Swindon are improving after a special effort begun last year .

Schools have been able to bid for money from Swindon Borough Council to get more training and support as part of the Swindon Challenge Board

Now Swindon has risen 45 places to 71 in the national league tables for Progress 8 in maths. That shows the improvement children have made from Year 6 to when they take their GCSEs in Year 11.

Forty-six per cent of students also achieved a maths score of 5 and above, a four per cent increase from last year.

The Attainment 8 measure for maths also increased pushing Swindon 24 places up the national league tables to 90.

Schools across Swindon have been using Swindon Challenge funding to boost maths attainment. Dorcan Academy ran a maths-focused residential weekend, and other schools used funding to sign up to the expertise sharing scheme Partners in Excellence with 2,500 other schools.

Lawn Manor Academy has introduced maths mastery and Swindon Academy has also worked closely with a number of schools in order to share best practice and improve results.

Coun Mary Martin, the council’s cabinet member for children and school attainment, said: “Swindon Challenge has always been underpinned by a collective desire to improve attainment and outcomes for young people in Swindon and I have been greatly impressed by the commitment shown so far.

“The funding provided by the Council has allowed a number of schools to gain external expertise, share best practice and support each other to do the very best for our school children. But this is just the start and we will be looking for this to continue in other subjects so we set the bar even higher and ensure our schools are achieving above the national average as outlined in the council’s priorities and pledges.”

Swindon Challenge brings together all key stakeholders in education including the Regional Schools’ Commissioner, head teachers, the teaching schools, governors, local businesses and senior council leaders. Ofsted also has observer status to the board.

Sheryl Bareham, head teacher at Dorcan Academy, said: “Swindon Challenge funding enabled us to offer our students a unique opportunity to combine an outdoor pursuits residential at PGL with intensive maths intervention and revision sessions.

“The experience boosted the confidence of some of our most disadvantaged students and enabled them to achieve success in their GCSE maths. Our recent Ofsted report which judged leadership and management as good, stated that ‘pupils are making good progress in a number of subjects’ and that ‘in mathematics, pupils are reaching standards broadly in line with those in other schools’.

“This is a significant improvement from where the school was two years ago and we are delighted with the support we have received from Swindon Challenge.”

Sandra Muir, head teacher at Lawn Manor Academy, said: “The Swindon Challenge Board has supported Lawn Manor with the maths mastery work in Year 7 and also visualisers across the school to enhance teaching and learning.

“This has resulted in the progress that Lawn Manor pupils make in maths being in the top 40 per cent in the country. Science progress is also in the top 20 per cent nationally. The Swindon Challenge Board has enabled schools to collaborate and learn from each other to raise standards across the town.”