[holding answer 21 January 2010]: Pupil level data relating to ethnicity and Free School Meal eligibility were not collected as far back as 1997. The information requested for 2003 (the earliest year available) and 2009 is presented in the following table and is for maintained schools only.
Number of white pupils eligible for free school meals not achieving A*-C at GCSE in both English and mathematics Proportion of white pupils eligible for free school meals not achieving A*-C at GCSE in both English and mathematics (percentage) 2003 Boys 24,404 86.9 Girls 23,022 83.8 2009 Boys 20,684 80.0 Girls 18,723 75.0 Note: Figures for 2003 are based on pupils age 15 and for 2009 are based on pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. Source: National Pupil Database