GIFTED St Helens pupils who excel at science and technology kicked off a new initiative at Liverpool Football Club.

A total of 120 Year Nine pupils from all secondary schools across the borough worked in teams to tackle problem-solving exercises and construct large-scale models, using a multitude of skills.

The Science and Technology Day, the first of its kind to be held in the borough, was organised by St Helens Council's Education Department and the Merseyside Science and Technology Regional Organisation (SATRO) to launch the Gifted and Talented initiative, which is part of the Excellence in Cities project.

Through Excellence in Cities, the council will receive £5 million of funding each year to extend opportunities and enhance quality in secondary schools.

Schools are being encouraged to have high expectations of all pupils, to work together to achieve more for pupils, parents and communities and to generally increase the diversity of provision.