BBC – Judith Burns
“Almost a third of children in England are behind in their development when they start primary school, according to official figures for 2016. And Department for Education statistics show pupils from poorer backgrounds are more likely to be lagging in their learning, literacy and numeracy levels. The charity Save The Children called the figures “shocking”. But the government said the figures showed “a continued rise in numbers meeting the expected standards”. The Department for Education also pointed out that the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers was decreasing.”(more)