State school pupils will get extra help with science, maths and language lessons from private school teachers as part of a multi-million pound partnership scheme.
Schools minister Lord Adonis said 18 new projects involving 160 independent and state schools would share £2.2 million of funding this year.
The extra money will go towards masterclasses, workshops and other joint activities with a focus on boosting maths, modern languages and science.
Lord Adonis said: "These partnerships are contributing to increasing attainment in key curriculum areas.
"Each will aim to provide exciting opportunities for their pupils to encourage them to continue their studies in these subjects at GCSE level and beyond."
The independent-state school partnerships project has involved more than 1,200 schools in England over the past eight years, the Department for Education and Skills said.
