Maryport's infant schools are pioneering a Government scheme to help youngsters with their development. 

The town is one of the first in Cumbria that offers school nursery places to two-year-olds. 

Around 32 families have taken advantage of the scheme, which aims to help the children develop language and social skills, including toilet training. 

The Government scheme gives 15 hours a week of free nursery for two-year-olds whose parents or guardians are in receipt of certain benefits.

Ellen Teaching School Alliance, comprising lead school Grasslot, with Ellenborough and Ewanrigg, Netherton and Maryport infant schools, is piloting the scheme and monitoring its effect on two-year-olds.

Karen Louden, Grasslot Infant School headteacher,said the Ellen alliance applied to be part of the project because it would benefit children from disadvantaged backgrounds. 

She said it was hoped that the scheme would ease the transition of children from nursery to school.

She added: "It is too early just now to know what the effect will be although Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School started earlier than us and are already starting to see some results.

Wendy Kendall, head of Ellenborough and Ewanrigg, said she registered separately from the Ellen alliance because of pressure from parents.

She said: "My parents were really keen for us to start. Because we were the first we had to register as an 'infant school pre-school' and I had to be vetted as a child minder."

Mrs Kendall sad initial results were "fantastic."

She added: "We are already seeing children making good advances in speech and language.

"The initiative looks at social and emotional development, speech and language and physical development."

She said the youngsters were learning toilet training, where necessary and eating together and other social skills.

Mrs Kendall said both Barnardo’s and private day care providers, Stepping Stones, had previously provided nursery care for two-year-olds but there was not a 100 per cent take-up.