New research from John Jerrim at the University of London’s Institute of Education - showing that bright 15-year-olds from the poorest homes lag behind their richer peers by more than two years - comes as no surprise.

At Asdan Education we have spent 30 years equipping young people of all abilities with the skills they need to succeed. Indeed, a study (bit.lyKsh7iH) carried out by the University of the West of England earlier this year showed that Asdan’s Certificate of Personal Effectiveness (CoPE) was having a huge impact on GCSE performance. Crucially, it revealed that low attainers on free school meals and undertaking CoPE outperformed their peers from more affluent homes in GCSE English by more than three percentage points at grades A* to C.

It is ironic, therefore, that the current government has stated that our qualification cannot be counted in school performance measures, despite the tangible impact it has on closing the academic gap between the poorest and most affluent children.

Marius Frank, Chief executive, Asdan Education.