Government plans an academy for the gifted

Citation

(2002), "Government plans an academy for the gifted", Education + Training, Vol. 44 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2002.00444bab.004

Government plans an academy for the gifted

Government plans an academy for the gifted

The Government plans to set up a university-based academy to co-ordinate residential, online and local support and teaching for the top 5 per cent of bright children in England. The academy will have the power to charge fees but will also have to come up with a way of funding disadvantaged children. Companies could support bright children who might follow careers in their sector. The Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth would recruit from state and public schools. The Government, which has invited bids from universities, wants it to be self-funding within three years. The contract is to run for five years initially. It is due to start in September with 600 children, followed by 900 in 2003.

Government plans also envisage a "top 1 per’cent" stream of young people and an initial focus on those aged 11-16 – although the programme embraces 11-19 year-olds. Each child in the brightest group would get a postgraduate mentor to provide online support.