A CAMPAIGN to boost pupil achievements has been hailed as a success by Kirklees Council.

The council launched its Together We'll Succeed campaign in February 2004.

It aimed to boost results for Key Stage 2 pupils taking their SAT tests this year and Key Stage 4 pupils taking their GCSEs.

The council's corporate development unit was asked to come up with initiatives to encourage children to try harder.

They also had to make parents more supportive of their children in the run-up to the tests.

The council's Overview and Scrutiny Panel for Children and Young People was given a report by Caroline Taylor, who is head of customer relations at the unit.

She said: "We are pleased both with the results and pleased that the market research we did seemed to indicate that it was well received by children, parents and teachers.

"We are now in discussions with head teachers about what they would like us to do this year."

Results for KS2 SATs and GCSEs taken this summer have improved on last year.

In Key Stage 2 tests, 77% of Kirklees pupils achieved the required levels in English - compared to 73% last year.

This year, 73% reached their targets in maths, while last year only 72% did.

In science, 85% of KS2 pupils achieved the correct level - compared to 84 last year.

This year, 52% of Kirklees GCSE students achieved five or more A to C grades.

Last year, only 47% did.

The initiatives put in place by the council included posters, featuring children from Kirklees schools and motivational slogans.

They were put up in schools and in the local community.

Items such as T-shirts and rubber wristbands - bearing similar slogans - were given out in schools.

Supplies were limited to make them exclusive `must-have' playground items.

Free revision booklets were given out to GCSE students and educational games and revision materials were put on a website, www.succeed.org.uk.

`Good luck' postcards were sent out to GCSE pupils before their exams.

A healthy eating campaign was run in conjunction with local supermarkets to show parents and pupils the importance of a good diet in boosting brain power.

Free bottled water and fruit were on offer during exams.

Teachers were given extra training on how to help pupils prepare for exams and a special parents evening was held, featuring information on how to support their children.

Parents were also sent text messages to their mobile phones, to remind them of their children's exam dates.

Pupils and teachers are going to be consulted on how the campaign could be improved this year.