A former pupil and a former head teacher of a Keighley secondary school have joined forces to boost educational opportunities for bright youngsters – with a £1m fund.

Scott Adams, a 50-year-old businessman who went to Holy Family Catholic School in the 1970s, has teamed up with Conor Davis, who stepped down as Holy Family head in 2008.

Mr Adams said: “If students can rise through a patchy state school system and still get grade As at A-level, they deserve our help.”

In the 1990s the duo worked together to successfully secure Language College status for Holy Family.

Mr Adams is founder of Nutrisport Ltd, which makes food supplements for strength and fitness. He has done consultancy work with Wigan, Warrington and Bradford Northern rugby league clubs as well as Oldham Athletic and Aston Villa, before switching to manufacturing branded sports food supplements.

He and Mr Davis are now setting up the Nutrisport Trust, which will provide grants nationally for bright children from less privileged backgrounds to study science, engineering, maths or medical subjects at university.

Mr Davis said he would help identify those most in need of help from the trust, while Mr Adams is providing the initial £1m of grant funding.

Mr Adams said he believes his generation had it easy compared to today.

“We had student grants and no tuition fees,” he said. “This meant those who got the best grades could get the best education opportunities, regardless of their background.”

He said high tuition fees and living costs for undergraduates meant children from poorer backgrounds, or without parental support, were not able to reach their potential, while less able pupils with good parental support secured the best university places.

Mr Davis said: “We know of students who could have done well but are having to take inappropriate courses at colleges because they have low fees. Other have quit courses or may even decide not to apply.

“These could have been the engineers, scientists and doctors of tomorrow.”