The figures show that last year, almost 12 per cent of pupils on FSMfailed to sit five or more GCSEs or equivalent examinations, comparedwith just four per cent of their more affluent counterparts.
The statistics also revealed that the attainment gap between such pupilshas remained stubbornly high since 2005, when almost 14 per cent of FSMpupils did not sit five or more GCSEs or equivalent examinations, asopposed to almost five per cent of non-FSM pupils.
John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, saidthat "cross-generational underachievement" is palpable in schools.
He said: "We have to target initiatives at individual pupils andfamilies. There has been progress over the past few years but thegovernment has been guilty of overhyping the fact that this gap wasgoing to be narrowed. It can be done but it's a long, tough haul."
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