EXCLUSION rates are down, attendance is up but East Middlesbrough’s education action zone has yet to have a significant impact on academic achievement.

The zone - set up three years ago by the Government as one of the first 25 regional schemes to tackle entrenched underachievement and social exclusion - has taken a long time to make an impact, according to inspectors.

Standards at schools in the zone, catering for 6,400 pupils, are still well below average, particularly in secondaries. But they are improving slightly faster than the national rate and zone targets for key stage 3 English and maths have already been hit.

The Office for Standards in Education said the zone had created an effective relationship with schools after a shaky start.

Work in literacy, the arts, vocational education and information communications technology had benefited pupils and teachers.

Programmes, notably those developing literacy through technology, were innovative and helping standards.

The zone consists of 11 primary, five secondary, three special schools and a hospital nursery unit and has had to overcome doubts about its usefulness among heads.

It covers a deprived area of Middlesbrough with high unemployment and three of the top 10 most disadvantaged wards in England.

The 62-member zone forum has had difficulties getting sponsorship and building links with firms. The only links have been through work placements for about 50 pupils. Last year alongside its pound;750,000 annual government grant the zone received pound;352,000 from partners, the bulk from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation.

Average extra funding per pupil per year is pound;185, of which pound;29 is spent on administration. Nearly 40 per cent of this extra cash is spent on raising attainment.

Programmes had lacked coherence but, said inspectors: “This is changing. The zone and its schools have learnt from their early difficulties and are now involved in a number of good initiatives which provide more and better educational experiences for pupils.”