A grammar school in Cheltenham is offering children from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to attend classes, and benefit from their facilities.

Kimberley Thornton is one of the pupils picked for booster lessons

The so-called 'curriculum enrichment project' could eventually lead to more children from local primary schools getting into the grammar school.

Pate's Grammar admits 120 pupils each year from schools across Cheltenham and the surrounding area.

But it's heavily over-subscribed and it's concerned that successful applicants are increasingly coming from privileged backgrounds.

So it's running special booster classes for 65 children, aged 9 and ten, from eleven primary schools in disadvantaged areas.

Is this the best way to tackle inequalities in education?

Breakfast brought together Laura Barbour, of the Sutton Trust and Margaret Tulloch, of the Campaign for State Education

click here to watch our schools debate

Background

The project, costing more than �40,000 a year, is largely being funded for a three year trial period by the Sutton Trust, the organisation founded by Peter Lampl, the educational philanthropist, to help children from non-privileged backgrounds.

It began in October 2001 and is aimed at Year Five pupils, who will transfer to primary school in Year Seven.

Pate's Grammar school's A Level results last year placed it among the top five state schools in the country. It's the highest performing mixed school in England and Wales.

Last September the school was awarded Beacon status by the Department for Education and became a specialist Language College.

The school is channelling a total of �100,000 a year to support the work of school in the less advantaged areas of the town.

Six members of Pate's staff are released each week to help teach science, design technology, maths and music in primary school.

The school employs an experienced primary teacher to teach French in six partner schools, and language assistants to work in partner secondary schools. The school's facilities have been opened up to partner school pupils and to community groups.

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