A famous public school is to back one of the Government's flagship academies as part of a drive to improve education for children from poor areas.
Winchester College will help run a planned new state-funded academy 30 miles away and share teaching materials and staff training with the school.
The announcement comes as private schools face the threat of losing tax breaks worth £100 million per year if they operate exclusively for the children of the rich.
Ralph Townsend, headmaster of Winchester College, said he wanted to develop a strong relationship with the new school.
He said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for Winchester to look outward, to share our knowledge and experience with those with similar aspirations to us and to learn from our partner organisation.
"The historic mission of Winchester College fits well with the aims of the academies programme.
"We are very keen to work closely with a school geographically close to us with whom we can build an ongoing relationship of support and sharing."
Schools minister Lord Adonis, who devised the academies programme while an adviser to Tony Blair, hailed Winchester's backing as "a decisive moment" for the scheme. "Winchester is a powerhouse of academic excellence, which it will bring to its academy and to the wider programme," he said.
The minister said at least 20 private schools were engaged in the academies scheme and urged others to sign up.
The United Learning Trust, which is the biggest backer of academies across England, will co-sponsor the proposed new academy at Midhurst.
