ALL children should have access to a good local school regardless of parental social class and disposable income, a teaching union representative has said.

Simon Jones, representing East Lancashire’s members of the National Union of Teachers, was speaking following an announcement by the shadow education secretary Tristam Hunt on how he planned to make the £700 million business rate relief received by private schools conditional on them meeting minimum standards of partnership with state schools.

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Mr Jones said: “High-performing systems internationally focus on high quality public education rather than the public and private division which characterises education here.

“If education is a public good, which is certainly what we in the NUT believe, all children and young people should have access to a good local school irrespective of parental social class and disposable income.

“It is certainly true that there is a very great deal‎ of excellent practice in the maintained sector from which colleagues in the independent sector could learn. OECD research shows that when exam results take into account social class and background, students in state schools succeed as well as their peers in independent schools.

“Whilst the independent sector retains a privileged tax and charity status it is incumbent upon schools in that sector to share their resources with other local schools.”

Lynne Horner, principal at Westholme School, a fee paying school in Blackburn, said staff there placed “great value” on positive relationships and links with state schools, both locally and on a wider scale. She said: “Partnership work is important, both in terms of our charitable status, and our educational ethos and principles. “Westholme has excellent links with primary and secondary schools and these include a higher education fair for local students as well as our own, numerous debating competitions and training, an enterprise day, an extensive sports fixture list with many schools and primary age group tournaments, teacher training workshops for primary teachers and gifted and talented events for local schoolchildren.

“We also offer our specialist facilities in music, drama, technology and sport for wider community use. “We are proud of the partnerships and relationships we have with our colleagues in the state sector and prescriptive attempts to establish a tick list of criteria undermines the positive work that already exists and is patronising to both sectors.

“It is absolutely right that those independent schools with charitable status should respect and ensure that the fundamental values and financial benefits of that status are upheld fully.” “At Westholme we have an educational commitment that extends beyond our own classrooms and school fields and this is shared by Governors, staff, parents and students alike.”