400-year-old boys school could allow girls for the first time

Wilson's school, whose alumni includes actor Michael Caine and fashion designer John Galliano, is consulting with parents, students and staff to decide whether to become co-educational.

The secondary school said it is responding to the demand for primary school places, and also a cut in government funding.

A spokesman for the school said: "Wilson's has been hit hard financially by Government decisions to cut funding for sixth formers, by £1,431 per pupil in our case.

The Governors are determined to preserve the outstanding provision that the school currently makes available and expansion will certainly help us meet the financial challenge that the cuts present us with."

Plans include expanding the school from five to six forms of entry and becoming fully co-educational in Year 7 and the Sixth Form from September 2015.

The school said it is in a unique position in what it can offer.

A spokesman said: "Parents and children in the area are fortunate in having access to a wide range of excellent schools, both selective and comprehensive.

"Currently, however, they do not have the choice of a selective, co-educational school. We think that is a huge gap in provision that Wilson’s is well placed to fill and we would be excited to have the opportunity to do so."

"We know that many parents and students prefer co-education and this will provide parents, for the first time, with the opportunity to send their sons and daughters to the same selective school."

In recent months all secondary schools in the Sutton area have been asked to consider whether they would be willing to expand to meet the expected growth in the number of pupils already entering the primary school system.

Damien Charnock, headmaster, said: "When Edward Wilson founded this school he said it should be education for all, currently we only offer education for half. We have listened to the local authority and now we are talking to the schools 'family' to see what they think."