Wellington College was founded to educate sons of officers

Wellington College will be one of the first independent schools in the UK to co-fund an academy school, thanks to a �2m donation from a former pupil.

The new academy in Ludgershall, Wilts, will specialise in modern languages, business and enterprise.

Dr Anthony Seldon, Wellington College's head teacher, has called on other independent schools to follow suit.

He believes there may be up to a 100 independent schools that could raise funding from wealthy former pupils and others to end an "educational apartheid".

"I am delighted that Wellington College is able to contribute in this way, but there is still a huge job to be done in ridding education of the historical and ideological divide between independent and state schools," he said.

"We have so much to gain from working together."

The new academy will replace Castledown School, and provisionally will be named Wellington College Academy, with boarding and day places.

One third of the students will come from military families and the project has already secured �25m of government funding.

The academy is planned to open in existing buildings in September 2009 and move to new facilities in 2010.