A PSYCHOLOGIST from Keighley who sharpens young minds to achieve academic excellence has been honoured with a national education award.

Learning expert Jon Finn runs an enterprise called Tougher Minds which has developed the Personal Brain Management programme which boosts schoolchildren's all-round performance.

Based on the latest neuroscience and after successful projects at one of Britain's best schools, PBM has now also attracted interest from the Department for Education.

Mr Finn teamed up with prestigious Colfe’s School, London, and their work together earned Education Initiative of the Year at the prestigious 2014 Independent School Awards.

The programme – which is credited with a 50 per cent increase in GCSE grades in the last 18 months and was included in a recent fact-finding discussion, chaired by Secretary of State Nicky Morgan – was nominated alongside hundreds of the others from schools, departments and individuals across 12 categories.

Tougher Minds director Mr Finn commented: “We are delighted that the hard work, application and dedication of the pupils, staff and parents at Colfe’s has been recognised by this award, alongside the effectiveness of the Personal Brain Management programme.

“The PBM is based on the latest understanding of neuroscience and has the potential to deliver significant benefits including improvements in grades, pupil recruitment, learning, homework, concentration, classroom behaviour, exam performance and extra curricular sport. We look forward to continuing our work.”

Colfe’s School head of academic performance is Bradford-born Andrew Foster, who attended Sandy Lane Primary and Bradford Grammar.

And he explained more about PBM's success: “The programme enjoys more parental support than we have witnessed in respect of any school initiative.

“We have also seen that teachers who embraced the philosophy of the programme and adopted its techniques are improving their own practice.”

During the 2013-14 cycle of the PBM at Colfe’s, every year 11 pupil received six, weekly sessions of group training in the autumn term, followed by fortnightly sessions during spring term. Parents were also invited to train for five weekly sessions and over 100 opted to participate.

Students were also issued with a personalised Tougher Minds/Colfe’s Performance Planner, in which they set targets and reflected positively on their daily achievements.

They also monitored sleep, diet and exercise.

In addition to improvements in GCSE results, in respect of A*/A grades, Colfe’s retention of sixth-form pupils has also improved this year.