Talented male pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds “underachieve” when it comes to taking their GCSEs, new research has found.

A report by the Sutton Trust revealed that over a third (36 per cent) of boys that demonstrate an early brightness are unable to keep up with the pace of education.

The paper, titled Missing Talent, notes how every year there are “high achievers” who score in the top ten per cent nationally in their Key Stage 2 exams, yet, half a decade later, receive GCSE results that put them outside the top 25 per cent.

These individuals, classed as “highly able”, are more likely to not achieve high test scores if they come from a poor family, the study noted.

Dr Lee Elliot Major, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said the research highlighted “the tragic waste of talent” of youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds.

It is a scandal that over a third of boys from low income homes who achieve so highly at the end of primary school are not among the highest school achievers at age 16,” he continued.

“The fact that a pupil's chance of reaching their full potential is linked to their background tell us that we urgently need to do more to make sure that our most able students have the support and advice they need to thrive."

The author of the report, Dr Rebecca Allen, director at Education Datalab, added that the research demonstrates how some schools need a lot of support to ensure that all their pupils are able to achieve high grades, irrespective of whether they come from a high or low income family.

“But there are also many schools across the country that are exemplars of best practice in the education of highly able children and so could provide a programme of extracurricular support to raise horizons and aspirations for children living in the wider area,” she concluded.