Originally Published 01 July 2002

The University of Warwick has just announced that it has appointed Professor Deborah Eyre to be the Director of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth. Professor Eyre is currently the Deputy Head of the Westminster Institute of Education at Oxford Brookes University and Director of its Research Centre for Able Pupils She is expected to take up her post at the University of Warwick in the autumn.

The Oxford Brookes Centre she currently heads is of course one of the two core partners of the University of Warwick's National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (the other core partner being The Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth in the US).

Professor David VandeLinde, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Warwick said:
"We are delighted with Professor Eyre's appointment. She will be at the heart of the Academy's work to create a range of exciting new opportunities for gifted and talented youth in this country, and she will play a key role in establishing the Academy as an internationally recognised centre in the field of gifted and talented youth"

Professor Eyre has extensive experience in the field of gifted education. She has been an adviser on gifted education to the House of Commons Education Select Committee, the Department for Education and Skills, the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority and a wide range of Local Education Authorities. She is also a UK Delegate of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children, and from 1997-1999 was President of the National Association for Able Children in Education.

Professor VandeLinde also paid tribute to the work of Acting Academy Director Paul Greatrix who, after preparing Warwick's bid to host the Academy, was also called upon by Warwick to run the academy for 6 months until a Director could be found. In that time he was required to organise the Academy's first summer school.

During its pilot year, the Academy will concentrate on the most academically able 11 to 16 year olds, with distinct programmes for the most able 5% and the most able 1%. Later, it is expected to cater for older and younger students, as well as those with talent in specific areas such as sports or the creative arts.

The Academy's first pilot Summer School for 100 students aged 11-16 will be held at the University of  Warwick from Monday 22 July to Friday 9 August 2002

Professor Deborah Eyre

Research Centre for Able Pupils

Oxford Brookes University

tel: 01865 488386