A headteacher has spoken of an "appalling educational apartheid" between privileged and deprived communities in a city.

Delegates from some of the most privileged schools in Britain listened as Antony Edkins, headteacher of Falmer High School, described the gulf that exists in parts of Brighton.

Surrounded by the clipped lawns, polished wood and grandeur of Brighton College, Mr Edkins spoke of the poverty that existed just down the road.

He said: "Within a mile from where you are sitting now, you will see extreme levels of deprivation."

Mr Edkins said East Brighton was in the top five per cent of the most deprived communities in England. He described a place where families existed on £150 a week and education was of little importance.

However, in the past two years, the tide has begun to turn, thanks to a pairing between two of the "problem" schools and two of the most privileged.

Two years ago, pupils from Falmer High School and East Brighton College of Media Arts began a partnership with students from Roedean and Brighton College.

The challenge, at first "petrifying" for all involved, has now grown into a successful project.

Mr Edkins told delegates attending the Leadership of Independent Education conference held at Brighton College that initial reaction from the State school pupils ranged from scepticism to hostility.

He said: "Some of my pupils thought they were being paired up with a bunch of snobs.

"But after their first meeting, a sailing event, attitudes changed dramatically. We were amazed at how much co-operation there was."

He said he had major reservations himself.

He said: "The notion of an independent/State school partnership filled me with horror. I was petrified."

However, after the four headteachers began to talk, it became clear there was good will on all sides.

During the last two years, a series of visits, exchanges and joint projects have been set up involving more than 300 pupils from the schools.

The pay-off has been increased attendance, better results, a greater sense of adventure, more collaborative learning and a glowing Ofsted report for Falmer.

Mr Edkins said: "It shifted attitudes from 'won't do' to 'can do'."

Perhaps most importantly, it has given pupils a sense of self-worth. Some of the private school pupils' confidence appears to have rubbed off on their State-educated counterparts.

Mr Edkins said: "It wasn't an experiment in social uniformity. But the unexpected outcome was that the differences disappeared.

"Some of the pupils have said they no longer feel as if they are judged on which school they came from."

Success has not come cheaply. So far, £95,000 has been spent on the project. The schools are still waiting to hear if a further £52,000 has been approved for next year.

Mr Edkins said: "It is expensive and it could not have happened without Government grants."

The success has sparked interest at ministerial level. The four headteachers are due to meet education minister Steven Timms later this month.

At 30, Mr Edkins was the youngest State secondary headteacher in the UK when he took over at Falmer.

He was challenged by using a team approach to turn around the failing comprehensive.

An Ofsted report last September praised Falmer as an effective and improving school with excellent leadership.

A key feature of their success was the partnership.

Mr Edkins said: "We now have a partnership recognising creative potential at the four schools.

"It makes our young people responsible citizens and achievers."

He has also personally gained much from the experience.

He said: "The project has encompassed four very different styles of headship and there is a lot still to learn. No one can identify what happens next.

"It has always been a joke that Brighton 'has more pilots than Gatwick' but we have had very good support from the chief education officer, David Hawker.

"He has been 120 per cent behind us."

Mr Edkins said he hoped to see staff swapping roles and governors becoming involved in the future.

He said: "The beauty of this is nothing is prescribed except the parameters."

Patricia Metham, headteacher of Roedean, said her initial fears were it could appear as Roedean "taking gruel to the poor".

However, she said it was not only State schools which had benefited.

"We are gaining just as much in terms of quality of education."

Mr Edkins said: "It is a highly successful project that has engaged staff and students and brought four very different but successful headteachers together. Long may it continue."

His advice to other headteachers interested in setting up a State/independent school partnership is: "Start small, think big".