ALMOST one in seven secondary pupils in the south has been classed as gifted or talented under a Government programme aimed at stretching and challenging exceptional children.

Figures from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) show that 13,009 children in the region aged 11 to 16 were deemed to be deserving of the title, equivalent to 13.8 per cent of all pupils – higher than the national average.

They were considered by their teachers to have developed one or more abilities to a level “significantly ahead of their year group”, or to have the potential to develop.

The term “gifted” is used by officials to describe pupils who are capable of excelling in academic subjects such as English or history.

“Talented” refers to those who may excel in areas requiring visual skills or practical abilities, such as games and PE, drama or art.

The DCSF revealed that a further 13,404 primary pupils in the south (11.4 per cent of the total) had been placed in the gifted and talented category in 2008.

A breakdown showed that the Hampshire County Council area claimed the highest proportion of exceptional primary pupils in the south (11.9 per cent), followed by the Isle of Wight (10.9 per cent) and Southampton (8 per cent).

When it came to secondary pupils, Hampshire counted 14.3 per cent, Southampton 13.1 per cent and the Isle of Wight 11.8 per cent.

Across England, there were 331,670 gifted or talented primary school pupils (8.1 per cent of the total) and 448,580 secondary students (13.6 per cent).

Last year, Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that he was expanding the gifted and talented programme, which enables bright pupils to benefit from after-school, weekend and summer events, to assist one million pupils, and to provide extra support for parents.

It aims to improve pupils’ attainment, aspirations, motivation and self-esteem, particularly with the most disadvantaged children.