Students hit their goal

Students receive certificates from Latics players. From left, Tasneem Kausar-Javaid, tutor, Deane Smalley, Melissa Valentine, Sean Gregan, Danny Whittaker, Robyn Williams, Helen Wilson, Lee Duxbury and Ashleigh Winterburn

Students have boosted their maths and English skills thanks to a joint venture between Oldham College and Latics.

Teenagers who don’t work well in the day to day college environment can take part in a numeracy and literacy course at Boundary Park run by the college’s Skills for Life team.

Tasneem Kausar-Javaid, numeracy tutor at the college said: “We have run the Heading For Success courses at Latics for the past two years now and it’s been really successful. Sometimes students don’t want to come into college and because it’s not a college environment it appeals to them.”

The course runs for 17 weeks from September to January then again from February to June.

The club provides a room and facilities allowing teachers to give lessons that are numeracy and literacy based but with a football theme.

The courses are for people who want to brush up on their skills and may need a qualification to progress in education or a career.

Tasneem added: “On the course we have 17-year-olds who could not pass GCSE maths after a couple of attempts, we have someone who wants to do nursing and needs the qualification and we have a brother and sister. The sister wants to go to university but for the brother it’s confidence building because he hasn’t been in education for a while.”

As well as working towards a qualification the students get extra incentives and are often given prizes such as chances to meet players, tours around the stadium, match tickets and signed balls.

The next step for Oldham College is to create a new initiative called Playing for Success which will see parents take maths classes that can help them teach their children.