FOUR-year-olds will be tested to identify the brightest pupils under a dramatic extension of Labour’s programme for gifted and talented children.

Ruth Kelly, the Education Secretary, said that she wanted teachers to choose the most able 5 per cent of pupils for special attention at primary school.

Measures of children’s abilities in so-called “foundation stage” assessment tests at the end of reception year in schools would be used to help to identify gifted pupils.

Ms Kelly said the move would help to tailor education to individual need. Pupils who had fallen behind in English and mathematics by age 7, when they sit national curriculum tests at key stage one in schools, would also be given extra lessons to bring them up to speed.

“To support young children struggling to keep up, we will introduce a programme of concentrated catch-up help, targeted at those lagging most behind, especially in reading, at key stage one,” she said.

“To stretch those able to get on, we will extend the Gifted and Talented programme to primary school children to make sure that those already coping well are stretched to their full potential.”

Teachers’ leaders backed Ms Kelly’s announcement. But concerns were raised that children at nursery school would be placed under pressure to perform by parents anxious for them to be selected.

Margaret Morrissey, spokeswoman for the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, said: “One of the things that most concerns parents is the stress caused by the over-testing of children and this will simply make it worse.

“The Government are putting a positive spin on this by saying it will help gifted and talented pupils, but what they will really be doing is labelling four-year-olds as successes or failures. We do not want that.”

Brian Harrison-Jennings, general secretary of the Association of Educational Pyschologists, also condemned the plan. He said: “It’s just not on. They can’t do it — if only you could identify gifted and talented people that way.

“Would you allow your child to have his life chances decided at the age of 4 without 99 per cent accuracy? And the answer is we can’t do it. The consequences of getting it wrong are not worth the candle of trying to get it right.”

However, David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “There are special sensitivities about picking out children as young as 4 for special help, but I see no reason why we should not be giving extra support for gifted youngsters, just as we do for children who are falling behind.”

The National Union of Teachers also supported the move. Steve Sinnott, its general secretary, said: “Bright children have special needs, just as much as children with learning difficulties, and they must be catered for.”

Labour officials insisted that the policy would not lead to academic selection in primary schools. Pupils would simply be offered help to foster abilities such as a gift for languages or mathematics.

One said: “We are talking about the top 5 per cent of four-year-olds who might have a particular talent and will be offered the opportunity to develop it. This is not selection at 5.”

Children could be offered individual tuition at certain times or placed in small groups of children, perhaps from several schools, for part of the week to develop their abilities. Primary schools would also be encouraged to link up with secondary schools to expand the expertise available to young children.

Times Recommends

• In Margot Fonteyn's footsteps
• Forget beautiful people, let's have wonky Brits
• Fundamentalist brew: faith and power