Pupils in private schools are more than twice as likely to achieve A or A* grades as those in the state sector, according to official figures that expose a widening attainment gap in education in England after more than 13 years of Conservative government.
The statistics, released by the regulator Ofqual, follow last week’s A-level results and come despite repeated pledges by ministers to close the divide by driving up standards in non-fee paying schools.
