Boarding school is first to take up City Academy plan

Oundle became the first independent school to announce public backing for a government plan to allow private schools to set up and run City Academies for state school children yesterday.

The £16,200-a-year mixed boarding school near Peterborough said it would like to set up a state school specialising in technology and science. The move would make Oundle, the third largest independent boarding school in the country, the first private school to run education for state school pupils.

The news follows an announcement on Tuesday by David Miliband, the Schools minister, that state/independent school partnerships, in which teachers in the private sector give lessons at state schools, would be given an extra £1.8m. But the Government is willing to commit extra funding for schools interested in its City Academy programme – under which failing inner city schools can be shut down and reopened with a private sponsor. Typically, the sponsor would put £2m into the school and run it with state cash of about £8m.

Ralph Townsend, the headmaster of Oundle, said: "I would certainly be interested in the idea of Oundle opening up a specialist state school available to those not in a position to pay school fees. This could follow Oundle's distinctive tradition in science and technology."

The school has won praise from education experts for a pioneering approach towards technology lessons. For instance, it has given pupils the opportunity to build go-karts.

Mr Miliband indicated earlier this week that several independent schools had expressed support for the scheme, although details had not yet been made public. Education sources yesterday reported a growing interest in the proposal in the private sector – especially as the Government was reviewing charitable status regulations, with the result that independent schools who were not involved in helping their local community could lose their status.

Oundle, which numbers the playwright David Edgar, the artist Sir Peter Scott and the scientist Richard Dawkins among its alumni, was founded in 1556 by the Grocers' Company to provide "a liberal education in accordance with the principles of the Church of England".

Dr Townsend said: "We already have links with schools abroad with the purpose of sharing teaching ideas and best practice. We shall be delighted to share ideas with state schools and I am sure that any links we might form will be beneficial to all concerned."

He said the "real challenge was to alter the expectations of a whole community", adding: "Independent schools have an advantage because of their tradition. They attract children with high expectations but unfortunately their families have to be able to afford the fees."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Education and Skills said: "The prospect of a fee-paying school sponsoring a City Academy is exciting and innovative."

* Charles Clarke, the Secretary of State for Education, used new powers for the first time yesterday to order two councils – Westminster and Croydon – to increase their spending on education. The Local Government Association criticised the move, saying the councils would have to cut spending on other areas or put up the council tax.