A SCHOOL helping to revive an area plagued by drug problems and anti-social behaviour was praised by a Government Minister yesterday.

Jeff Rooker, Minister for Regeneration, chatted with parents and pupils during a visit to Hayward School in Great Lever, which he hailed as a model community school.

Since it was granted extended status last year, efforts have been made to make the school become a focus of activity in the area.

Besides providing core services, including child-care, health, social care and family learning programmes on the single site, the 1,270-pupil school also tackles broader issues such as youth nuisance, drug awareness and retraining for work. Teachers claim the activities have had a noticeable effect on improved pupil behaviour and attendance.

Mr Rooker said: "Schools like Haywood contribute to the regeneration of their neighbourhoods by offering better access to essential services from health education and career development to improved local availability of sports, arts and other facilities."

Parent Antonia Figgins, of Pennington Road, whose 13-year-old son, Antony Hamer, attends the school, claims there has been a huge improvement in the behaviour of youngsters.

She said: "It has given the pupils more confidence and encouraged parents and other members of the community to play a more active role in the school and community as well as enabling them to communicate better with their children."

Collette Kelly, neighbourhood manager for Great Lever, told the minister: "There are difficult problems for Great Lever to overcome but there is a will and a commitment from parents, staff and pupils to make it something more than it has been in the past."

Headteacher Tim Oakes added "This isn't thought of as a school but as a community resource. To most people it's a community building which just happens to be used as a school during the week."

Cllr Margaret Clare, chairman of the Great Lever Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder which co-ordinates services in the area, said: "The idea is to widen the horizons of all the community, promote better understanding and improve access to services."