CHILDREN in Blackburn and Darwen look set to be offered the chance to shoot to the top of class in new summer schools for gifted and talented pupils.

The Government has selected the council to set up two schools out of the 40 which will be created nationwide, aimed at pupils in the higher ability range.

Our Lady and St John Roman Catholic High School and Queen's Park High School will set up special courses for the top of the class youngsters.

Each school will receive £10,000 to set up the courses which will help pupils in years six, seven and eight.

The borough already runs literacy and numeracy schools for youngsters who need extra help with basic skills.

Classes will be held in the last two weeks of August and will follow academic themes linked to the curriculum. Queen's Park will look at topics related to space and subjects to be studied include maths, information technology, science, music and English.

Pupils will also visit the Museum of Science and Technology, Manchester, as part of the course.

At Our Lady and St John's, students will look at the poetry of the late Poet Laureate Ted Hughes and also visit the grave of his former wife, the American poet Sylvia Plath. They will also study English, maths and information technology and look at problem-solving techniques.

The summer schools will be run on a partnership basis and staffed jointly by teachers from the two schools and other schools in the borough's education action zone.

Staff from Blackburn College and St Mary's College will also participate and there will be a contribution from British Aerospace, which has been heavily involved in the education action zone.

Coun Bill Taylor, chairman of the council education and training committee, said: "This pilot scheme is yet another boost for Blackburn with Darwen's education authority in general and our education action zone in particular and shows the value of partnership working.

"It demonstrates our commitment to improving achievement levels throughout all ability ranges and shows, once again, that we are at the forefront of the latest educational developments."

The courses are free and about 30 children from each school are expected to attend the sessions.

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