New research has reconfirmed the impact of poverty on educational achievement by pupils.

In schools with the highest uptake of free meals less than a third of pupils achieved five GCSE grades A*-C. This compared with 93 per cent of pupils at the schools with the lowest uptake and with a national average of 50 per cent.

The research, by the Liberal Democrats, is based on the figures from the Department for Education and Skills.

Phil Willis, education spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, said this was evidence of a "two-tier" education system, which increased the risk of children being socially excluded in later life.