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A university is running crash courses in basic skills to bring students up to scratch before they start their degree courses.

Teesside University planned a summer school in skills such as essay writing, maths, numeracy and English to boost the confidence of mature students. But it says school-leavers are also signing up. Now it is hoping to run two-week intensive courses for students applying through clearing.

It will mean taking some who have not met the exact entry qualifications for a course but who the university feels would nevertheless be capable of taking a degree. More than 250 have already signed up, twice as many as expected.

A spokesman said: "In two to six weeks we can bring them more or less up to a reasonable speed so when they start their degree course they will feel able to cope. We are not just a two A-level university and many of our students already come through access courses or practical experience."

Teesside University, dubbed the "opportunity university" for its commitment to widening access, has received Pounds 365,000 from the ³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Funding Council for England to run summer colleges for the next four years.