EAST Lancashire pupils are being told to fight the pressures of cultural barriers and peers if they want to get on.

Four students have led the way by being picked for the National Academy of Gifted and Talented Youth - the latest initiative to push young people as far as possible.

And now they are paving the way for more to stand up and stretch their academic levels at the internationally-renowned academy.

Year 10 students Dena Holland and Rachael Andrews, Year 9s Sam Beckingham-Cook and Year 7s Amy King, all from Witton Park High School, Blackburn, will have access to a wide range of learning experiences not available in schools. They have proved themselves to be in the top five per cent nationally.

The Student Academy works with a sub-set of the top pupils to explore what additional opportunities might benefit gifted pupils and how to make sure opportunities match the abilities of individuals.

The logic behind the scheme is that gifted children need an extra boost to get on and will not simply 'do well anyway'.

It has grown out of the Education Action Zone and Excellence in Cities programmes, which targeted Government funding in East Lancashire.

To get into the academy, pupils were first spotted by teachers with talent and then attend outreach events, which are short courses at weekends or in school holidays.

"This is a fantastic achievement," said Louise Stubbs, the schools gifted and talented co-ordinator. "It reflects the hard work of the teaching staff at Witton and the students' commitment."

There are now five students at Witton who are members of the academy and the school boasts more members than any other in the borough. Research has shown that all youngsters might be held back from turning academic potential into achievement because of a lack of support from families, inspiration, social class or awareness of their ability.

In this way, gifted children are at risk of underachievement for three main reasons - the general public overlooks the need to coax talent with challenging opportunities, teachers are not always good at recognising gifted students and culturally it is not 'cool to be bright'.

A spokesperson for the academy said: "We know relatively little about how best to encourage and support the learning of gifted students. A massive expansion is needed in the range of additional opportunities for gifted students and much better training for teachers to help them make more effective provision.

"Our education system is constructed to suit the needs of the majority - and pupils at the extremes present a real problem."