Private schools have long awarded places to foreign pupils to bring in extra income. Now it seems the same is happening in state education. Around 1,000 youngsters from China and Russia are paying up to £15,000 a year to attend a handful of England's best state sixth-form colleges, it was claimed yesterday. Dozens more such colleges are understood to be considering recruiting from abroad in the future. While charging pupils to attend state schools is against the Department for Education's admissions code, different rules are thought to apply to standalone state-funded sixth-forms. Around 1,000 youngsters from China and Russia are paying up to £15,000 a year to attend a handful of England's best state sixth-form colleges . Some college heads say that without the extra income they would have to reduce teacher numbers because of a nationwide schools funding crisis. But there are concerns that the practice will leave fewer places available for local pupils. Alan Smithers, professor of education at Buckingham University, said: 'Some state schools are now behaving like businesses and taking advantage of the voracious ambitions of Chinese and other overseas students. 'The downside is that British students may be squeezed out of places that would be valuable to them. 'Chinese pupils are remarkably successful. Whether it's because they are driven on by tiger mothers or a fear of job insecurity ... they have the ambition and work ethic to get excellent exam results and enter our top universities.' Head teachers say that without the extra income they would have to reduce teacher numbers and cut art, music and sports classes. James Kewin, deputy chief executive of the Sixth Form Colleges Association, which represents nearly 100 sixth form colleges in England, said foreign pupils produced much-needed money. Richard Huish College (pictured) in Taunton, Somerset, which was recently rated 'outstanding' in an Ofsted inspection, has about 60 overseas pupils in the sixth form, most from mainland China . He told the Sunday Times: 'In terms of the income it is phenomenal and a lot of schools that have been hit by public sector cuts are seduced by that.' Richard Huish College in Taunton, Somerset, which was recently rated 'outstanding' in an Ofsted inspection, told the newspaper it has about 60 overseas pupils in the sixth form, most from mainland China. The college is understood to be building a new boarding house to allow the number to increase to 120. Principal John Abbott, said the school received £4,560 a year for a British pupil from state funding but charged £12,000 for overseas pupils, a sum that will rise to £15,000 next year. He said: 'They provide wonderful additional financial income. We have not been immune to the public sector cuts. Their academic results are fantastic too, especially in maths, science and economics — better than those of the British students.' Peter Symonds Sixth Form College in Winchester, Hampshire, which sends a large number of pupils to Oxford, is reportedly considering enrolling overseas pupils from 2017. It is understood families of foreign pupils would be charged about £15,000 a year. The college said: 'Like other schools we are cash-strapped and charging for overseas students would help a lot.' Figures published last year showed 24,391 non-British pupils whose parents lived overseas were enrolled in the 1,257 schools that were members of the Independent Schools Council. Of those, 19 per cent were from Hong Kong and 18 per cent were from mainland China. The Department for Education said that some colleges, depending on their status, were allowed to admit and charge overseas students. In February, David Cameron admitted that state school spending per pupil would fall in real terms under a future Conservative government. Mr Cameron said that while the overall amount spent on schools would rise, spending per pupil would not increase in line with inflation. Campaigners say the money schools receive has not kept pace with inflation over the past five years and many areas of England receive inadequate levels of funding due to an outdated formula of allocations. According to ASCL, over the next 18 months their budgets will be stretched further by a rise in costs of about 4.5 per cent because of increases to pension and national insurance contributions, and pay rises.
Foreign students are paying up to £15,000 to attend best state colleges . Around 1,000 youngsters from China and Russia are paying for sixth-form . Dozens more colleges are  considering recruiting from abroad in the future . But there are concerns the practice will leave fewer places for local pupils .