CHILDREN in the Basingstoke area could cash in if social services bosses agree to pay £100 bonuses to every child in care who passes a handful of GCSE exams.

Under the cash-for-results scheme, teenagers in the county council's 14 homes and in foster care will get the handout for achieving five or more A* to G grades.

Hampshire County Council chiefs are looking to invest a share of £139,000 of Government funding to encourage the looked-after youngsters - of which there are currently 910 in the county.

They say rewarding those struggling academically with money has already paid off elsewhere in the country with an immediate rise in exam passes.

A similar scheme, tested in a Hull school placed in special measures, saw a rapid 10 per cent rise in exam success rate.

If given the go-ahead, the Hampshire version will be offered to all children in care - whatever their circumstances.

It is part of a package of measures targeted at improving the lot of youngsters leaving care and looking for a job and will help to build on the county's established success.

A government report recently identified it as the second best authority for helping its children leave care with some degree of academic success.

It found that more than 60 per cent of young people in care aged 16 or over obtained at least one GCSE grade A* to G or a GNVQ.

But only 40 per cent of youngsters leave care with at least five A* to G GCSE grades and just 13 per cent obtain five A* to C grades.

The proposed scheme was one of several public service agreements education bosses have vowed to meet if they are given Government money.

Steve Love, assistant director for social services, said: "We are very supportive of this scheme, which has shown excellent results elsewhere, and are happy to reward children in our care for doing well at school, just as many parents reward their own children for academic success."

Social services council supremo Cllr Felicity Hindson added: "I think this will work.

"It is not just the cash - it's the sense that it is an achievement and that people recognise it."

The public service agreements are currently being negotiated with the Government.