Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to be entered for modern foreign languages GCSEs than their peers - regardless of prior attainment, new statistics show.

And poorer pupils are much more likely to be entered for at least one non-GCSE qualification, according to analysis by data experts FFT Education Datalab.

The research shows that, in 2018, disadvantaged pupils were less likely than other pupils with similar key stage 2 attainment to enter GCSEs in French, German or Spanish.

Meanwhile, more than half - 51 per cent - of poorer pupils attending state-funded mainstream schools entered at least one non-GCSE qualification at KS4, eligible for performance tables purposes in 2018.

This compared with 38 per cent of other pupils.