White working-class boys 'continuing to fall behind'

White British schoolboys from working-class families are falling behind their classmates at a greater rate than previously thought, Government figures showed today.

Less than a fifth (19%) of those eligible for free school meals - an indicator of poverty - achieved at least five grade Cs at GCSE, including English and maths.

In comparison, more than half (50.8%) of white British boys not entitled to the meals attained the marks, including the two core subjects - a gap of 31.8 percentage points.

This has grown from 29.8 percentage points in 2006.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) announced the revised figures after adding 5,700 results omitted from the original study of 579,000 pupils.

Provisional statistics, published in December and withdrawn last month, had suggested 19.4% of boys were achieving the standard, compared with 51% of those who do not receive the meals.

The new figures showed the gap had widened slightly, with poorer pupils behind their richer classmates overall.

They showed 26.6% of all pupils entitled to the meals got five A*-C grades, including English and maths, compared with 54.2% of those who do not.

Provisional figures had placed the total at 26.9% and 54.4% respectively.

For white British girls, 24% of those entitled to the meals achieved the grades, compared with 57.8% of those not.

The study showed 54.4% of girls got five A*-C grades, including English and maths, compared with 47.1% of boys.

The highest achieving ethnic groups in terms of gaining at least five A*-C grades were Chinese (71.6%), Indian (67%) and mixed white and Asian (62.3%).

Overall, 93.7% of girls got at least five grades between A* and G, compared with 90.4% of boys.