Charles Clarke has announced that state funding is available to help students to take A Levels in subjects such as Latin and Greek at fee-paying schools.

In a speech to headteachers at an independent schools conference, he said: "From the beginning we have talked about little projects of cooperation.

"I want to move it on to a different level and say 'let’s not be in a state of neutrality, armed or unarmed, but get to a state of affairs where we can really positively work together'."