§ Mr. GibbTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils attended the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth in 2003; how many places were available; and what proportion of the pupils attended non-specialist, non-selective maintained schools. [129166]
§ Mr. Miliband522 students took part in the 2003 summer schools provided by the Academy, against a planning assumption of 900 places. 82 per cent. were from non-selective, maintained schools. Data was not collected on numbers from specialist schools.
The Academy provides a range of services and support to its members in addition to the summer schools, including on-line communities, research material and outreach events. 621 Academy members took part in such outreach events during the pilot year. In the 2003–04 academic year, the Academy is planning over 200 events reaching a potential 6,000 participants. Membership of the Academy currently stands at 2,022 with applications arriving at a rate of 75 each week.