Originally published 20 January 2004

Creating a rail network that actually works will be just one of the challenges for gifted young people at the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth’s 2004 Summer Schools. Applications will open on 26 January.

Cartoonist Peter Blegvad, who’s work includes the cartoon "Leviathan" about a faceless child's encounters with metaphysical problems and puns, has agreed to run the Creative Writing side of the Academy's Summer School at the University of Warwick. Leviathan ran in the Independent on Sunday Newspaper from 1992 to 1999.

Other courses and activities at this year’s summer schools will range from space science, to a trip to the RSC, the mathematics of code breaking, Royal Choral Society led music workshops at the Canterbury Christ Church summer school, and a project to design a light railway network from scratch. The Academy will have at least five summer school venues at the Universities of Warwick, Durham, York, and Canterbury Christ Church University College. At least one other be announced later.

• Warwick 3 weeks 18 July - 7 August
• Durham 2 weeks 25 July - 7 August
• York 2 weeks 1 August - 14 August
• Canterbury 3 weeks 8 August - 28 August

The other key features of this year’s summer schools are:

Length - Last year the Academy faced conflicting preferences as to what the ideal length of the summer school should be. Some parents thought a 3 week long summer school used up too much of the school summer holiday period – However most of the young people actually attending the summer school thought that two weeks was too short a time. The Academy is this year thus offering both a two week and a three week summer school to meet both preferences.

Cost to parents – The maximum payment expected from parents this year will be £290 for a 2 week summer school and £350 for a three week long school - depending on parental income. Last year 21% young people attending the Summer School did so without paying any sort of fee, and a further 10% of young people paid 50% of the fee or less. The Academy expects a similar pattern of payment this year.

Cost to schools – This year schools will be expected to contribute £210 for a 2 week summer school and £280 for a 3 week summer school. Schools will be able to draw on a range of funding mechanisms to fund this contribution including funding from LEAS, standards funding, and Excellence in Cities funds.

Numbers– Around 900 of the Academy’s 3010 members are expected to attend one of the Academy’s summer schools this year. However the summer schools are just one the Academy’s many activities. This year the Academy will run around 200 one day or weekend short courses that will offer 6000 places to NAGTY students.

Parents and young people wanting to find out more details on the Academy’s summer school programme for this year should look at: this link to the the summer school web site