A lesson in using the market

The winners in Britain's two-tier education system

Fareena Alam
guardian.co.uk, Sunday May 25 2003 02.55 BST

The future has never been brighter for Sir Alan Davies and his growing band of teachers. Not only is a brand-new school building planned, but three more staff will be recruited later this year at Copland Community School in Wembley, London.

Prudent budgeting and shrewd marketing have ensured that the funding crisis has had no effect on the school's staff.

'Ten years ago, the sixth form had just 30 students,' he said. 'Today it has 600 and we are still oversubscribed.'

The school building, a dreary construction on Wembley High Street, has been the location for private functions such as weddings bringing in £150,000 a year. All income is channeled back into the school, whose ageing structure and leaky roof will soon be replaced by the multi-million pound building which will include science laboratories, sports hall and a gymnasium.

The cleared area will be sold to private developers for the planned Copland Village. That alone could raise up to £80 million for the school, which receives £7.8m funding a year.