Originally Published 16 August 2004

Members of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) will be educating Minister for Schools Standards, David Miliband MP, in space science this week when he visits the NAGTY summer school held by Imperial College.

Students from the Space Science course who are learning how to investigate the sun, meteorites, asteroids and their geology will show the minister how they identify asteroids with the use of remote telescope Faulkes, based in Hawaii.

The visit, which will take place on Tuesday 17 August, is a sign of the minister's ongoing support for the Academy and for gifted and talented education, he will spend the entire morning at the College and will partake in a question and answer session with some of the students. The Minister will also deliver a speech in the morning.

Professor Deborah Eyre, Director of NAGTY, said: "We are very much looking forward to the Minister's visit to our summer school at. The Minister has really championed our cause and this is a great opportunity for him to see our members in action.

Pupils with high potential need to have the opportunity to become high-achievers, and giftedness needs to be nurtured through access to challenging opportunities. Summer Schools are just one of a vast array of events and provision we have available to our members, and can be a life-changing experience."

Professor David Phillips, Imperial's Senior Science Ambassador to Schools and Dean of the Faculties of Life Sciences and Physical Sciences, said: "Imperial has been running a range of summer schools for many years now, and we continue to be amazed at the innovative ideas that young people come up with and the enthusiasm they show. We hope that their time here interacting with Imperial students and academics will promote an interest in science and technology that will last a lifetime."

Media Opportunitiy: There will be the opportunity to hear the Minister's opening speech and then a photocall with students from the Mars Rover Robotics course, who will demonstrate their robotic skills. Please arrive at the main entrance to Imperial College in Exhibition Road, South Kensington by 10.15am on 17 August. For further information, or to attend the event, please contact Alison Rowan, Press and Publications Officer, NAGTY on 02476 574905 or 07876 218130. Visit: www.warwick.ac.uk/gifted

Further Information:

The Academy, which is based at the University of Warwick, is open to the top 5% of gifted and talented pupils in England, and is working to improve educational provision for the most able students by working with students, educators and parents.

NAGTY is running summer schools at seven venues this year: Warwick, Durham, Exeter, Lancaster and York, Imperial College London and Canterbury Christ Church University College. There are places for a total of 1050 Summer Schools are between two and three weeks in duration and focus on one subject.

This is the first year that Imperial College has run a NAGTY summer school, they have provided places for 150 students with courses including: Astronomy, Chemistry, Mars Rover Geology, Mars Rover Robotics, Maths, Moon Mission and Space Science. The summer school runs for two weeks from the 15-28 August and includes a packed social programme with visits to the Science and Natural History Museum as well as ghost walks, ice-skating and a farewell dinner dance. Imperial is committed to providing a programme of summer schools for pupils from the state sector as part of its widening participation strategy.