Sue Cowley asks what summer-born children need

As study after study has shown, children born in the summer can be at a significant disadvantage when it comes to educational attainment. The latest statistics from the Department for Education (DfE) show that 71 per cent of children born in the autumn term had reached a 'good level of development' by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage
(EYFS), compared to 49 per cent of those born in the summer months.

Simple logic explains why this gap persists: these children are different ages. Some children start Reception just before their fifth birthday, while others have only just turned four. At such a young age, when they develop so quickly, the gap is especially pronounced.

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