Poverty and exam grades linked again

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.