A London comprehensive is to become the first school in the country to offer a degree, to encourage more students to pursue higher education and a career in teaching.

The Woolwich Polytechnic School will offer a three-year BSc in maths with qualified teacher status (QTS) from this September, making it the first school to cater to 11- to 21-year-olds.

Woolwich Polytechnic may not have the usual attractions of a university student union, but it is confident that the course will attract applicants from its own and neighbouring sixth forms, as well as mature students and career-changers.

According to the school’s co-headteacher Tim Plumb, students will need at least 280 Ucas points to be accepted - equivalent to grades BBC at A-level.

“We’ve always felt there’s a connection between further education and higher education that is not fully exploited,” Mr Plumb said.

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