Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of students in receipt of free school meals were entered for a GCSE in information technology in each of the last four years.

The proportion of pupils [1], [2] entered for GCSE Computer Science who were not eligible for free school meals (FSM) [3] are attached.

The proportion of pupils [1], [2] entered for GCSE Information Technology who were eligible for FSM [3] are attached.

Pupil characteristics information will be published, for the year 2016/17, in January 2018.

[1] On roll at a state-funded school which includes academies, free schools, city technology colleges, further education colleges with provision for 14- to 16-year-olds (further education sector colleges were included in secondary school performance tables from 2015) and state-funded special schools. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision.

[2] On roll at a state-funded school which includes academies, free schools, city technology colleges, further education colleges with provision for 14- to 16-year-olds (further education sector colleges were included in secondary school performance tables from 2015) and state-funded special schools. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision.

[3] As recorded in the school census for that year.