Share your teachers, private schools told

Private schools have been told to share teachers with local state schools, amid mounting pressure on them to justify their charitable status. The Department for Education has published new guidance on ways in which fee-paying schools should collaborate with their state neighbours.

PRIVATE schools have been told to share teachers with local state schools, amid mounting pressure on them to justify their charitable status.

The Department for Education (DFE) published new guidance on ways in which fee-paying schools should collaborate with their state neighbours.

They could allow state pupils to join their classes in subjects such as languages and classics, share facilities such as science laboratories, and ask their teachers to share lesson plans and resources, it suggests.

The guidance comes as pressure grows on leading private schools to do more to help less well-off pupils.

Three quarters of independent schools in England enjoy favourable business rates and VAT exemptions on fees as registered charities.

To qualify, they must demonstrate that they provide “public benefit” to a reasonably wide section of the public. Traditionally this has been done by offering bursaries and fee discounts. However, many private schools now form partnerships with state schools, which can include sharing specialist teachers or opening up sports facilities.

Just over half of private schools already share facilities, and some offer coaches to primary schools.

Lord Agnew, the schools minister, said such cooperation could have a huge impact, “raising aspirations and unlocking young people’s potential”. He added: “So much good work already goes on, but I want to see more of it.”

Ministers have quietly dropped proposals to scrap the charitable status of schools which do not help out their state neighbours, and the DFE has set up a unit to facilitate partnerships.

Julie Robinson, general secretary of the Independent Schools Council, said the “vast majority” of independent schools had established partnerships with state schools.