A plan to bring on bright children in England's state schools by basing university selection on primary school tests has had a lukewarm response.
The Specialist Schools and Academies Trust (SSAT) is to send universities a list of top-performing 11-year-olds.
According to The Times the trust will hold schools to account if pupils fail to perform well at A-level.
However, the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth warned against "hectoring" schools.
And secondary head teachers said the idea was "inappropriate and unnecessary".
According to The Times the SSAT's chairman Sir Cyril Taylor will write to schools shortly to inform them of the scheme.
The SSAT said on Monday that as the letter had yet to be sent it was unable to comment.
Accountable
The Times said the trust would tell head teachers how many of England's top 5% of pupils were in their schools and what they were expected to do to support them.
Schools would then be held accountable if the students failed to achieve three A grade A-levels.
The move comes after studies showed that the top 5% of 11-year-olds who go to state schools are half as likely to get three As as those at independent schools.
Heads will be expected to register the pupils with the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (Nagty) at Warwick University, which will co-ordinate support programmes.
However Nagty's director Professor Deborah Eyre said in response to the report that while she welcomed support in nurturing pupils she had concerns.
She said: "Nagty continues to believe that schools and colleges should be helped rather than hectored to improve their provision for gifted and talented students by such means as increasing access to high quality professional development opportunities and supporting examples of innovative practice."
Prof Eyre warned that talent did not just manifest itself through primary school testing.
"All gifted pupils should be given every chance at every stage to blossom - not just at Key Stage 2. "
There was no immediate comment from the Department for Education and Skills.
The Association of School and College leaders rejected the scheme as inappropriate and unnecessary.
Its general secretary, John Dunford, said: "Key stage 2 tests should not be used for this purpose. These are tests for attainment, not potential.
"That is why most secondary schools re-test children on entry at 11 - to establish their potential.ї
He said it would put yet more pressure on children whose test results were already used to grade their achievement, diagnose their learning problems, pay their teachers and put their schools into league tables.
"These are primary school children. They are too young to deserve this kind of pressure," Dr Dunford said.
(BBC)
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