SCHOOLS in Dorchester are celebrating today after scooping £150,000 to ensure fewer youngsters are excluded from the classroom in future.

The cash injection over the next three years from the Networked Learning Comm-unities Programme will be match-funded by the 18-strong school network in Dorchester.

The cash will be pumped into a pioneering scheme to identify young children who are at risk of being excluded from school.

The programme - which is funded by the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) and the Department for Education - targets groups of schools working together in partnership.

The Dorchester Partnership of Schools (DASP) was set up in 1992 with the aim of providing the best education for all the students educated in and around the county town.

Claire Gould, spokesman for NCSL said: "DASP is one of a small number of partnerships nationally which has been at the forefront of networked learning in England. They've been linking resources, expertise, enthusiasm and commitment for more than a decade, providing a continuity of education which they believe few can match."

The latest cash boost will mean Dorchester schools' joint approach will be able to grow even further over the next three years.

As well as targeting school exclusions the funding will also be used to carry out research on boys' literacy performance.

Jo McLeod, headteacher at Damers First School and member of DASP said: "The network has built up trust and openness among its schools over a number of years but we've gone beyond that now. It's not an issue for us to sit round a table and discuss our school results openly.

"One of us is able to say 'your maths results are very good but I'm not doing so well.

"What's your co-ordinator in that area doing and can we work together?' But now we want to take networked learning on to another level. We want to establish a more professional management structure.

"Previously, we relied on the goodwill of headteachers but this money allows for remuneration and release time, which is essential."