They are young, gifted and on a fast track to a career in the sciences.

Thirty potential scientific stars of the future have made a quantum leap in their education, thanks to a partnership between two schools and a university.

The deal allows the 15-year-olds to take their science lessons at the University of Sussex.

Students from Hove Park School and Patcham High School are part of a project to develop teaching and learning in scientific subjects.

They are being given full use of the university's facilities, allowing them to build rockets, experiment with electro-magnetism and work with liquid nitrogen.

The pupils have been selected to spend 12 sessions at the university's "laboratory for gifted and talented pupils".

It offers them and their teachers the use of up-to-date facilities, technical back-up and additional tutoring from Professor Ed Copeland and Dr Jonathan Hare, who is also a member of BBC Two's Rough Science team.

Gary Kernan, co-ordinator for gifted children at Hove Park School, said the science sessions were built into the school timetable.

"This is a huge opportunity for these children. They are doing some fairly technical stuff and although it is interesting and enjoyable, it is designed to stretch them too."

Dr David Daniels, head of physics at Hove Park, who set up the scheme, said the project was in line with the Government's drive to improve standards in secondary education.

"The students were selected for their enthusiasm for science, rather than knowledge of it.

"The aim is to broaden their scientific experience and enhance what is happening at school. It's about science in the real world.

"The university has terrific facilities and members of the university staff also have an input. They have been very helpful indeed."

Among future projects, the pupils plan to build Martian rovers, robots capable of wandering the surface of Mars and transmitting data back to Earth.

The scheme will continue until July 2004 and next year there will be another intake of students, doubling the numbers involved.

It is hoped the project will be eventually be extended throughout Brighton and Hove.