MOTIVATIONAL after school study classes to help struggling pupils are set to be axed — to save just £150 per child per year.

The popular Playing for Success programme is the latest scheme to fall victim to government-enforced cutbacks.

It is proposed that the scheme will end next March after 11 years of helping schoolchildren in the borough improve in literacy, numeracy and information communication technology.

The scheme provided what were called “exciting and motivational learning” sessions outside of normal school hours for underachieving children, many of whom may be on free school meals.

Since it was introduced as part of a national government initiative to link professional sports clubs to education — in this case Bolton Wanderers FC — other pupils have also benefited.

Over the last year the club has worked with more than 1,000 children from 50 schools. Around 300 children attend every week, embarking on eight-week courses.

They include traditional homework clubs, as well as playing Crown Green Bowling to improve numeracy skills and one of the events including performing Shakespeare in the stands of the Reebok Stadium to improve literacy skills. The scheme receives £300,000 a year from the Government and other sources, including the National Lottery.

There are two Playing for Success Centres, Study@ BWFC at the Reebok Stadium and the Crown Green Zone at Leverhulme Community Sports Club.

The end of the scheme means that 22 posts are at risk, but because many of the posts are on a part-time basis this equates to a full-time equivalent of 9.85 posts.

Cllr Ebrahim Adia, executive member for children’s services, said: “The Government has announced that the Playing for Success project will no longer have any funding.

As a result, this scheme in its current form, run by the council and Bolton Wanderers Football Club, will end in March 2011.

“We are working with the club and Bolton Wanderers Community Trust to explore whether there is any possibility of providing an alternative.

We will be consulting and communicating with all staff, unions and stakeholders to manage the impact of these reductions fairly and aiming to minimise the impact on service delivery.”