Private school makes places offer

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/6318397.stm

Version 0 of 1.

An English public school is to offer free boarding places in its sixth form to pupils from an east London school it has ties with.

Brighton College, in East Sussex, will take the pupils into its sixth form, using funding from HSBC bank.

The places will be awarded to pupils from Kingsford Community School, which has no sixth form, in the deprived London borough of Newham.

The two schools have various ties and both teach Mandarin.

They developed links after both opted to make it compulsory for all new pupils to learn Mandarin.

Funding from HSBC is given on condition that those awarded the places continue to learn the language.

Pupils will be chosen through interviews next month.

Brighton College head Richard Cairns said both schools were committed to innovation and to preparing pupils for "21st century global realities".

"It was in many ways a natural partnership," he said.

"We are both committed to nurturing a climate of high expectations in our schools, to breaking down barriers of class and race, and addressing the ignorance in our society that fuels intolerance of every kind."

Visits between the two schools have been taking place and football matches start next month. They are also working together on staff training for languages, and in sharing ideas on school improvement, the heads say.

Refugees

At Kingsford Community School last year, 30% of pupils got five good GCSEs including English and maths. The school, which is improving in the league table, has a high proportion of pupils with English as a second language and some 14% are refugees.

At Brighton College, which is mixed, all GCSE students achieved at least five good grades.

This adds a whole new dimension to our pupil body Richard Cairns, head of Brighton College

Its head, Richard Cairns, said: " What we are doing is creating a wonderful opportunity for pupils at Kingsford to benefit from an education that has hitherto been beyond their imagining, allowing these young people a genuine opportunity to fulfil their tremendous potential away from domestic distractions".

"There will be benefits for Brighton College too, of course. We already pride ourselves on our broad social mix but this adds a whole new dimension to our pupil body. I have no doubt that it will raise social awareness and mutual tolerance still further."

Head teacher of Kingsford Community School Joan Deslandes said: "The thing that struck me most when I visited Brighton College was the positive work ethic there.

"Some of my students share that commitment and academic ambition and I want them to have the chance to work with other young people of their ability with a shared determination to succeed."