HUNDREDS of gifted teenagers will be offered extra classes with experts from Durham and York universities, under a £3.6m Government initiative unveiled yesterday.

Gifted and talented pupils from secondary schools throughout the North-East and North Yorkshire will be able to take after-school, weekend or online classes led by specialist academics, under the Excellence Hubs scheme.

Durham University, in co-operation with the Open University, is preparing to offer residential summer courses to children in the North-East, while York University, in co-operation with the universities of Leeds, Hull and Sheffield, is expected to run intensive one-day courses to pupils in North Yorkshire.

Parents will usually be charged for the classes, although each university will be given £400,000 over the next four years to deliver the classes.

Ten per cent of places will be available free of charge to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Schools Minister Andrew Adonis said: "We need to do steadily more to meet the needs of very able children in the education system. These new schools harness the expertise of our leading universities for the benefit of gifted and talented pupils in state schools.

"Offering gifted and talented pupils a range of exciting out-of- school opportunities in their area will ensure that eligible children, no matter where they live or what their background, will receive extra support to meet their potential."

The first classes will be held during this year's summer holiday. At least half of places will be offered to pupils who are members of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth.