Firms asked to fund top school places for poor

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The scheme, which could see up to 1,000 disadvantaged children studying next to the most privileged students across Britain, will be unveiled on Monday by City of London Boys' School head David Levin.

He has already helped raise £11.2 million to provide free places for 161 boys at his school over the past 10 years, while some sixth-form places are paid for by hedge fund managers and the Corporation of London.

Now he wants every private school in Britain to follow his lead and persuade businesses to provide at least two means-tested sixth-form places for underprivileged youngsters in their areas.

Mr Levin, new chairman of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference which represents private schools, said: "Widening access to education is one of my passions.

"If you offer just two or three places per school and get 200 HMC schools and 50 from the Girls' School Association to take part, you will be getting on towards supplying 1,000 places."

Mr Levin will urge schools to join the scheme on Monday at the HMC annual conference.

Private schools will be asked to "deeply discount" fees by up to 80 per cent for a number of means-tested places and businesses will be asked to pay the remaining fees.

Places would be open for students studying science, maths and modern foreign languages — classed as "strategic but vulnerable" subjects.

Mr Levin will argue that these subjects may not be on offer at state sixth forms and it would not cost independent schools much to add one more student into an already small class.

He has held talks with two leading bankers and "sounded out" businesses. He predicted that private school heads will give the idea a "serious hearing".