A TEAM of consultants has been called in to raise standards at three struggling high schools after a series of disappointing exam results.

Around £300,000 is being spent on specialists to help pull up GCSE grades at Queen's Park High School, Darwen Vale High School and Darwen Moorland High School.

The move came after up to a quarter of pupils left last year with fewer than five GCSEs at grades A to G after a steady decline in the last four years.

And each of the schools showed a fall in the number of pupils getting five or more GCSEs grade A to C.

But a teaching union today questioned the use of the cash, saying the presence of 'so-called experts' would just add extra pressure on teachers and make them quit altogether.

Education bosses believe the presence of the consultants over the next two years will help motivate pupils and improve teaching.

Darwen Moorland's five A to C percentage dropped from 30 per cent to 29 per cent last year, although the figure has risen from 24 per cent four years ago.

Over the last four years, the number of pupils at Queen's Park getting five or more grades A to C dropped from 25 to 18, including a fall of one per cent last year.

At Darwen Vale the percentage dropped from 29 to 24, including a two per cent fall last year.

The figures for the three schools are the lowest in Blackburn with Darwen and among the lowest in the country.

In comparison, every other school in the borough saw a rise in the number of pupils collecting five or more GCSE grades A to C on last year -- while the national average is 57.9 per cent.

Now each school facing challenging circumstances has school improvement officers working with staff.

They are backed up by a team of six consultants who are qualified teachers with experience of middle management in high schools. They form a growing team of council employees being assigned to schools on an ad hoc basis.

Peter Morgan, director of education and lifelong learning at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "We have a floor target of 25 per cent of pupils getting five GCSEs grades A to C, and that is the minimum.

"Although the schools could be said to be doing satisfactorily, that is not good enough. If a parent was told their pupil's work was satisfactory, they would want to know why it wasn't better, and the same applies here.

"The particular concern is that results have fallen back.

"There is room for improvement and we will also be arranging for some teachers from some of the better-performing schools to go into these schools to share tips and advice.

"Things like booster classes, extra lessons and holiday schools will also be promoted. In the main at other schools, pupils have responded to these."

None of the three head teachers were available for comment.

Ian Kendrick, assistant director of school improvement, said: "This is intensive funding aimed at bringing all schools to a similar level of progress and this one off payment will help drive improvement along faster."

But Simon Jones, NUT spokesman and a member of the union's national executive, said: "While we would also welcome extra investment in schools, we are concerned about the idea of bringing in so-called experts.

"They could simply put extra pressure on teachers and drive them away.

"Allowing the head teachers to decide how the money should be spent is a much better idea."