JUST one in four of the poorest teenagers take a modern foreign language at GCSE, new figures showed.

In total, 55,342 pupils (74.1%) on Free School Meals (FSM) – a measure of poverty – were not entered for a language GCSE last year, compared to just over two thirds (69.5%) two years ago.

In comparison, take-up among non-FSM pupils – those from richer back-grounds – is higher, with over four in ten (43.2%) taking a language GCSE, figures from the Department for Children, Schools and Families show.

This still means more than half of pupils not on FSM – 293,512 teenagers – did not take languages at the age of 14 last year.

Education experts have previously raised concerns about the decline in pupils taking modern foreign language GCSEs since the government made the subject optional after the age of 14.

Government figures show overall almost six in ten pupils (58.5% – 348,854 youngsters) were not entered for a modern language GCSE last year.

Dr John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders aid take up was lower among the poorest pupils because they want to take GCSEs which they believe they can get a good grade in.

He said: “Modern languages remain a very difficult GCSE, and therefore tend to be avoided by pupils unlikely to get a high grade.’’