MILFORD Haven School is the only secondary school in Pembrokeshire to have been chosen to be part of a new multi-million pound Welsh Government programme to boost education performance.

Forty schools across Wales have been chosen as ‘Pathways to Success Schools.

The government said the schools were chosen using a range of performance data and “information that highlights the challenges they face in terms of their circumstances and stage of development.”

Milford Haven School was placed in the lowest band five in the 2013 annual school bandings produced by the Welsh Government.

The government said the schools have the potential to deliver swift and positive improvements for learners.

Each Pathways to Success School will be given the opportunity to deliver a package of support that is individually tailored to meet each school’s needs and the needs of their learners, backed by around £20 million of funding.

Milford haven School Headteacher Rod Francis told the Western Telegraph: “This substantial additional funding will build on the success already achieved.

“These are exciting times for Milford Haven School.”

The programme will also provide support to local ‘cluster’ primary schools in order to address challenges as soon as possible.

Making the announcement, Education Minister Huw Lewis said: “We must drive up educational standards in Wales for all our learners, raising levels of literacy and numeracy and, in so doing, breaking the link between educational attainment and poverty. Today’s announcement is a major step forward in making that happen.”

Pembrokeshire County Council Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Ken Rowlands, said: “This is a valuable opportunity for Milford Haven School and its family of schools to further develop the opportunities available to ensure children and young people reach the potential.”