Nursery World - Gap between poor five-year-olds and their better-off peers has grown

The early learning gap between children in poverty and their peers has widened in half of areas across England, according to new analysis.

Research by Save the Children suggests poorer children have fallen further behind their classmates in 76 out of 152 local authority areas in England by the end of Reception.

The figures form part of a nationwide disparity between children in poverty and their peers which has widened in the last 12 months (by 0.3 per cent) for the first time in four years, said the charity.

Save the Children conducted analysis of the Government’s report ‘Early years foundation stage profile results: 2017 to 2018’, which provides the number of children reaching expected levels of development in key areas at the end of their first year of primary school.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included