Schoolchildren in Wymondham have been given a helping hand with their maths and literacy skills thanks to the arrival of a specialist tutoring company.

Tutors from the TLC Education Group have begun teaching after-school sessions at Wymondham High School for children who lack confidence in English and maths or for those who wish to push their abilities further.

The private company, which formed in Haverhill, Suffolk, seven years ago, has already set up learning centres at The Open Academy, Norwich, and at the King's Lynn Academy.

TLC Education tutors arrived at Wymondham High following the autumn half-term break. Sessions are geared towards children aged six to 16, and are not only for the benefit of high school students but for all schoolchildren within the community.

Simon Barnes, founder and director of the firm, said the service has generated 'a lot of interest' so far.

'It's a private organisation being partnered with schools, who are not necessarily failing, but want to strengthen their skills, think they can add something for their students but also benefit the community as a whole,' he said.

Each 80-minute session costs �25 and they are currently running at Wymondham High on Monday and Tuesday afternoons. Each student is given a free assessment and then provided with a personal learning programme.

Mr Barnes added: 'The confidence comes first and foremost and the academic side follows from that. Confidence is a massive issue with a lot of children and they probably know it themselves.

'They know their maths and English but lack a bit of confidence. As soon as they start getting that confidence they start putting their hands up in class. We know we are doing a good job when a student says they answered a question in class today.'

Victoria Musgrave, headteacher of Wymondham High, invited TLC Education to work at the school.

She said: 'This came about as a direct result of one of my teaching staff mentioning the organisation to me. It sounded interesting and I met with their chief executive officer.

He said that if we acted as hosts some of our students might benefit from the provision, so this simply seemed to me to be a wonderful opportunity to enhance young people's education.'

For more information on TLC Education tutoring at Wymondham High, call 01603 889048 or visit www.tlceducationgroup.com