A British-Jewish financier has donated £5 million to a project that brings private school teachers to state school students.

Alan Howard, the wealthiest hedge-fund manager in the UK who is worth an estimated £1.6 billion, has given the money to the United Learning Partnership Fund. It is believed to be the largest ever single donation to benefit children in state education.

The funds will be used to teach students – mainly at urban academy schools - subjects that are often reserved for private schools, including classics and Russian, by a process of distance learning technology.

Mr Howard, a former Hasmonean student and former director of Conservative Friends of Israel, said: “Students deserve the best, especially when it comes to education.

“I am pleased to support a visionary team of educators – encouraging students to aim high while providing them with the tools to achieve their goals.”

The Brevan Howard hedge-fund co-founder, who grew up in a strictly Orthodox home, is known for his support of Holocaust education, Israeli film-making and the homeless.