Many secondary schools in Sussex are so vast these days, it's easy for children to feel lost and ignored.

Now Hove Park School is abolishing tutor groups for students and replacing them with a mentoring system.

It's popular with parents as can be seen by the fact almost 300 turned up to a meeting to discuss the scheme.

Under the tutor group system, it's often the brilliant or bad children that gain attention while the others do not.

Mentoring means every student will have someone to turn to for any help for advice. Parents will have a named point of contact.

Groups will be smaller than in the past because every member of staff, including the head, will be a mentor.

From the staff point of view, they will feel personally responsible for the children they supervise which could be throughout their school career.

They should get to know the youngsters, not just as pupils but also as people with successes and failures.

Other changes, including electronic registration and a flexible end to the school day, are designed to help pupils enjoy their school life and benefit from it.

If the Hove Park scheme works well, and there is every sign it will, other schools may care to copy it.