A massive campaign to raise millions of pounds so that youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds can receive a public school education is due to be launched by Bradford Grammar School later this month.

The campaign is to be spearheaded by world-famous artist David Hockney, who attended the school and who himself was a scholarship boy, along with his brother. Now the 62-year-old artist has agreed to lead a campaign to raise more than £2.5 million to replace the Government's Assisted Places funding scheme which was abolished last year.

Olympic gold medallist swimmer Adrian Moorhouse, Lord Healey and supermarket giant boss Ken Morrison have also thrown their weight behind the campaign which they believe will help those from poorer backgrounds.

The school, which consistently features in the top ten of schools in the country, recently celebrated its 450th anniversary and the 50th anniversary of the opening of the present school by the Duke of Edinburgh.

Headmaster Stephen Davidson said: "The challenges facing the school today have never been greater and in order to meet the standards expected, further developments must be undertaken.

"The phased withdrawal of the Assisted Places Scheme threatens the whole ethos of the school which benefits enormously, both academically and socially, from having boys, and now girls, of high ability and motivation whose family circumstances would otherwise preclude them from attending the school."

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