A Beaconsfield girls’ grammar school has launched a virtual student learning scheme to allow pupils to “work collaboratively” with students from a school hundreds of miles away.

Sixth-Form students at Beaconsfield High School are working with the West Grantham Academy St High’s in Lincolnshire to pilot the scheme, which allows the pupils to connect virtually.

Led by the student leadership teams of both schools, the scheme lets pupils talk to each other on a weekly basis using Skype and OneNote, to discuss anything from specific essay questions to leadership skills.

Head teacher Rachel Smith said it would allow students to “build a rapport that facilitates genuine peer-to-peer learning”, which she says can “boost interest and develop a desire for wider study”.

She said: “The schools have different models and a diverse mix of students, but are aligned on their values of providing environments where all aspects of education can be embraced, and where students are helped to acquire knowledge, skills and practical abilities.

“We value student leadership a great deal and our Student Quality Learning Team presently work with a number of primary schools to help support students, as well as working with many fellow students within school.

“We have a strong desire to build on opportunities to aid social mobility and, by working with St Hugh’s, are not only teaching our students to collaborate academically, but to also take responsibility in their society.”

Organisers say the pilot, focused on the “sharing of ideas, best practice and academic support, brings together a grammar and secondary school in response to the Education Endowment Fund’s research that found that collaborative working helps improve progress”.

The school’s head girl, Josephine McEnvoy, said: “As a school, we value strong academic progress, but this is only one element of what prepares us for the future.

“Moral and social awareness are both important in developing our skills to collaborate in the work place, and so we are excited to work with another school to improve our skills and learning abilities.”