Poorest young children are falling behind

Youngsters behind their peers by the end of the first school year

THE poorest children in Leicestershire are already falling far behind their peers by the end of their first year in school.

Fewer than half of fiveyear-olds eligible for free school meals (FSM) in the area were judged to have achieved a “good level of development” in official assessments last year.

The 49% of pupils on FSM achieving a good level of development compares to 74% of all other children in Leicestershire, excluding Leicester.

That’s based on the latest results of Early Year Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) assessments released by the Department for Education.

EYFSP is a teacher-led exercise that looks at how well children are performing at the end of the early years foundation stage – the academic year when the child turns five.

A child achieving a good level of development is one achieving expected levels in reading, maths, language, communication, physical development, and personal and emotional development.

That includes working and playing cooperatively and taking turns with others, using new vocabulary, writing recognisable letters and having an understanding of numbers up to 10, among other developmental milestones.

Helen Barnard, deputy director of policy and partnerships at national poverty charity the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “In a society committed to compassion and justice, it is unacceptable that millions of children are growing up locked in poverty and that this means being shut out of the opportunities and prospects which all children should have.

“The gap in attainment between children from richer and poorer backgrounds has remained stubbornly large for many years – holding young people back from getting the qualifications and skills which will let them get a good job and build a decent life for themselves.

“Poverty affects every aspect of a child’s life; living in a damp, insecure home, parents feeling constant stress and anxiety, being shut out of hobbies and activities which build confidence, and being more likely to go to a school that is struggling to recruit and retain the best teachers and leaders.

“The government needs to loosen the grip of poverty on families to give children the right start in life. That means increasing access to affordable, secure homes, opening up better paid jobs to parents and strengthening the social security system so it gives families the right support when times are tough.”

The gap between the poorest children in Leicestershire and their peers is more than three times as wide as in Leicester itself.

There, 61% of pupils eligible for FSM achieved a good level of development – not far behind the 69% of all other children in the area.

The gap is also bigger for boys in Leicestershire than it is for girls, which reflects the national trend.

Some 40% of boys on FSM achieved a good level of development in these assessments, compared to 68% of all other boys.

Meanwhile, 58% of girls of FSM hit these targets, compared to 80% of other girls.

The gap is slightly bigger for girls in Leicester, where 61% of girls on FSM are hitting targets compared to 69% of other girls, and 56% of boys on FSM are compared to 63% of other boys.

The development gap between rich and poor is something that can be seen across the country – although it is particularly wide in Leicestershire.

Nationally, 57% of children eligible for FSM achieved a good level of development in their EYFSP assessments, compared to 74% of other children.

The gap was slightly bigger for boys than it was for girls – but boys in general are falling behind their female peers.

Some 49% of boys on FSM hit these targets compared to 68% of other boys, while 65% of girls on FSM achieved a good level of development compared to 81% of other girls.