Poor children less likely to take GCSE in physics

Not a single pupil in one London borough took a GCSE in physics last year, figures have revealed.

Physics died out as a separate qualification in Islington, while only 23 pupils gained a GCSE in it in Hackney.

Schoolchildren in the poorest parts of the city were denied the chance to take the science exams demanded by prestigious universities, according to a study of Government statistics by the Conservative Party.

Pupils in the country's 10 most deprived boroughs - four of which are in London - were three times less likely to study physics as a standalone subject than their peers in affluent areas such as Buckinghamshire, where 956 pupils took physics.

Candidates for popular courses such as medicine normally need separate GCSEs in physics, chemistry and biology to get into a top university, which often consider the combined Science Double Award GCSE less demanding.

Shadow education secretary Michael Gove said: "These figures underline yet again the growing divide between less well-off children and the rest. Some of the best degrees and best-paid jobs require separate sciences but for children in the poorest areas of the country these opportunities are being closed before they even leave school."