I KNOW what you did last summer - that was the message education chiefs gave pupils from across the county at a celebration of their achievements at summer schools.

Summer schools are best known for their work boosting literacy and numeracy skills to avoid the perceived Year 7 dip in attainment.

Many schools run schemes to help bridge the gap between primary and secondary school.

But Lancashire also organises events to challenge the top five to 10 per cent of the ability range in the participating schools.

One of the intentions behind these summer schools is to provide a spur to children who might otherwise not consider further education.

Nine Lancashire secondary schools hosted summer schools for gifted and talented pupils, each with the involvement of community partners such as colleges, research institutions and some very well known companies.

A total of 240 pupils from the nine schools and from their local primary schools participated this year thanks to £9,000 of government grant funding for each summer school.

They attended last night's event at the Novotel in Walton Summit, near Preston.

County Councillor Alan Whittaker, Cabinet Member for Education and Young People, said: "We aim to provide an interesting and challenging education for every child in the county, and the children at the top end of the ability range must not be overlooked.

"These summer schools are only possible with the hard work of the teachers and the support of community partners as diverse as the Manchester Giants Basketball team and the Magic Circle."