A PRIMARY school is putting dads to the Test in a bid to drive up adult literacy.

Wensley Fold Primary School, Blackburn, plans to bowl over dads with a six-week cricket-themed course aimed at getting them more involved in their children's education.

Names for the scheme were batted about, such as Dads for Lads, but to appeal to the ethnic members of the community, organiser Majid Ditta settled for Abughee and Me - which means My Dad and Me in English.

Year 5 teacher Mr Ditta, 29, said it was a "man thing" and hoped to see more men school-side of the gates.

The initiative is part of a borough-wide drive in line with the Government's Extended Schools initiative about re-engaging schools in their local community. The borough has just under a third of the adult population with some basic skills need, higher than the national average.

"We find that a lot of dads think it's not cool to go into school and only ever drop their children off at the gates," he said. "If you ask them to help with some literacy they run a mile."

The six-week programme will be launched on February 12 with a cricket match on the Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School ground, followed by a literacy session.

Mr Ditta added: "Our first task will be to write a letter to the council asking for more sports space on the Saunders Road site, but then at each session we will discuss different issues and produce a newspaper as evidence of what we have done.

"We wanted to keep the cricket theme as there are a lot of Pakistani men who think cricket is the best thing since sliced bread - it is very dear to their hearts.

"We want to break down barriers so that fathers take the opportunity to spend more time with their youngsters before it's too late and they have grown up and developed all the teenage hang-ups.

"It could also spark them into taking on courses for themselves."

The initiative is part of a growing drive in Blackburn with Darwen to encourage schools to become more active in the community and help raise standards.

Wensley Fold already offers breakfast, homework, ICT, games, music, art and language clubs and parents also their own room at the school.