Class-tracked

Clever teenagers from poor backgrounds lag almost three years behind their bright and rich classmates, a shock new report finds.

The attainment gap for the poorest but brightest girls is even bigger in reading and science.

Analysis of the top 10 per cent of pupils in British schools also shows English pupils’ grades are above average globally but pupils from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are failing to keep up.

Sutton Trust founder Sir Peter Lampl called on ministers to do more to tackle the “huge waste of talent”.

He said: “It is staggering that at age 16 bright but poor pupils lag behind their rich classmates by almost three years.

“This results in a huge waste of talent which is why we are calling on government to establish a highly able fund.

“High potential pupils would be monitored and given specific support.

“This would improve social mobility at the top by widening access to leading universities and to top jobs.”

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