Almost a third of children behind in their development at five, figures show
Department for Education figures show 31 per cent of under-fives were not achieving good levels of development in fields such as communication and language, maths and social skills. This equates to around 200,000 early-years children.
What’s more, pupils from poorer backgrounds are more likely to be lagging in their learning, literacy and numeracy levels, the figures suggest.
The figures show only 54 per cent of children from disadvantaged families reach a good level of development, compared with 72 per cent of the age group overall. It found that boys lag behind girls, with 62 per cent of boys achieving good levels compared with 77 per cent of girls.
Detail of the figures suggests the gap between the lowest 20 per cent of children and the average for all children has narrowed by more than five percentage points in the past four years.
Read moreLatest News
06/10/2025 - 10:20
Schools in England could face an annual shortfall of £310 million in covering the cost of free school meals unless urgent action is taken, according to a new report led by Northumbria University.
03/10/2025 - 10:01
Spending on educational support for children with high needs has risen sharply in recent years, creating unsustainable financial pressure on both local authorities and central government, new analysis warns.
02/10/2025 - 09:31
The Always Active Uniform is a flexible, comfortable school uniform including active footwear, designed to support spontaneous movement and daily activity throughout the school day.
01/10/2025 - 10:23
The Welsh Government has agreed to continue a licensing deal which will give all learners at Welsh state schools free access to Microsoft 365 at school and at home.
01/10/2025 - 09:51
Schools will play a greater role in ensuring every pupil has a clear post-16 destination, with a new approach to a guaranteed college or FE provider place available as a safety net being tested.
