The Sutton Trust has launched a new programme that offers better support to England’s brightest students.

Sutton Scholars will ensure that highly able low and middle-income pupils between the ages of 11 and 14, who are studying in state secondary schools, will be able to better achieve their aspirations.

Starting at Key Stage 3, the programme will ensure that talented youngsters are helped to progress through at least two years worth of “attainment raising and enrichment activity”.

These schemes will be delivered through participating universities. The Sutton Trust says that its flagship programme is a direct response to the ending of the government’s “gifted and talented programme” in 2011.

It is an ambitious undertaking, with the trust explaining that it intends for the initiative to be delivered by all partner universities that feed into its other sponsored schemes, such as summer schools.

A recent poll shows support for the Sutton Trust’s efforts. It found that 80 per cent of parents and teachers are of the opinion that more needs to be done to support bright youngsters through the provision of extra-curricular programmes.

“The trust has long worked with bright students in the later years of secondary school and in the sixth form,” said Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust.

“But if we want more students from low and middle income homes to be in the running for university places when they are 18, we need to support them much earlier on, so that they continue to do well at school, have high aspirations for their futures, and make the right educational choices.”

He said that the trust’s new programme is an example of the kind of schemes that are needed to better support highly able children and young people realise their potential at school, in further and higher education and in the world of work.

“That’s why we are calling on the government to develop a national programme, with ring fenced funding, that highly able state school pupils across the country can access,” Sir Peter concluded.

Currently the programme is designed to boost provision to those in early secondary school, enhancing access to projects that have been traditionally aimed at older students.

Partner universities include the University of Nottingham, the University of Warwick, the University of Cambridge and University College London (UCL).

Approximately 400 pupils identified as being highly able will be selected to participate in the launch programme, building on the successes of the pilot programme, which was tested out at UCL during 2013/14.