Almost half of school pupils currently on free school meals will have started their formal education without the necessary skills to thrive, according to new research published by Child of the North in partnership with the Centre for Young Lives.

The report, ‘Education Equality for the North of England: Challenges and Opportunities’, will be presented today (Monday 8^th September) in Leeds to national child health, education and care leaders, the new analysis shows that 48.5% of children who receive free school meals will have started school without meeting ‘school already’ criteria. Meanwhile, 49.1% of children not school ready are later identified as having Special Educational Needs (SEN).

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Children are deemed to be school ready if their performance is rated as age-appropriate in the domains of personal, social, and emotional development; communication and language; physical development; mathematics; and literacy.

The research lays bare the impact across a child’s young life of being ‘not ready’ to start school – which puts them at much higher risk of issues such as poor dental health and being out of work or education in years to come.

The analysis uses the latest data from the 2023/2024 academic year to look at the long-term impact of being deemed not school ready.  It shows that a child starting formal education when not ready:

• Is twice as likely to have dental decay whether or not they receive free school meals
• Is 27 times more likely to have undiagnosed autism
• Is eight times more likely to not reach Key Stage 1 expected levels
• Is two and a half times more likely to become persistently absent
• Is almost three times more likely to be out of employment, education or training at 16-17 years of age

The analysis also shows:

• Children with health conditions are 30% more likely to be unready for school
• Children not school ready who are on free school meals and with special educational needs have a 25% probability of being out of employment, education or training later in life
• 32.3% of reception class children are entering school without the necessary skills to achieve and thrive – a small improvement of 2.5% on 2021/22 but the geographical and demographic disadvantage gap is growing
• In 2021/22, Bradford was 2.9% below the average for school readiness but this gap had grown to 6.1% by 2023/24 

The findings are on the agenda for policymakers, academics, clinicians and educators attending the National Opportunity Summit, at the University of Leeds today (Monday 8^th September), where they will discuss solutions to the problems faced by the millions of children in the UK who are growing up in poverty.

Professor Shearer West, University of Leeds Vice-Chancellor and President, will welcome delegates to the event, which is hosted by the University’s CHORAL Centre (Child Health Outcomes Research At Leeds), and the Centre for Young Lives think tank.

Professor Shearer West, Leeds Vice-Chancellor, said:

“Tackling childhood inequalities benefits both young people and society as a whole. But we can only do this if we work together: the Child of the North campaign demonstrates the impact of research and innovation carried out with compassion, commitment and a collaborative spirit.

“The University of Leeds is leading the way through outstanding interdisciplinary research in this area, and by working closely with regional and national partners, we can play a meaningful part in a future in which every child can thrive.”

The event supports the UK Government’s Opportunity Mission - the goal of breaking down the link between a person’s background and their future success, and giving children the best start in life. 

These concerns were the focus of the 2024 Child of the North campaign, which saw reports on 12 key topics of concern produced by the N8 group of research-intensive universities in the North of England, in partnership with the Centre for Young Lives and Health Equity North. The reports highlighted the problems of inequity by showing how children in the North of England face disadvantages in relation to a range of issues including poverty, special educational needs, school attendance and mental health. The reports also provided evidence-based plans and recommendations to help policymakers address the issues.

Each report was based on in-depth research carried out by academic experts in children and young people’s health and wellbeing from universities across the North of England and beyond, including Leeds, Manchester, Durham, York, Lancaster, Liverpool, Sheffield and Newcastle, as well as the University of Bradford.

The research made a series of policy recommendations which were adopted by the Department for Education’s Scientific Advisory Council, of which Professor Mon-Williams is the deputy chair. The council provides independent scientific advice to the DfE on matters relevant to its policy and operations, supporting the Government’s Opportunity Mission.

The National Opportunity summit will see the launch of the 2025 Child of the North campaign, which will provide toolkits to schools, child health services and local authorities on the 12 topics identified by child health leaders as the major issues of concern. These toolkits will help practitioners and organisations take practical steps to improve the health and wellbeing issues faced by the children and young people in their care.

The ‘How To’ guides provide evidence and suggestions about how all parties can work together to build a country that works for all children and young people. The goal is to ensure alignment between practitioners on the ground and government’s work on the Opportunity Mission to make certain that every child has the best possible start in life.

Report series editor Professor Mark Mon-Williams, from the University of Leeds, said:

“Last year's Child of the North campaign shone a light on the true extent of the issues facing disadvantaged children and young people, from the autism and mental health crisis, to oral health, special needs, school attendance, vulnerability and crime. The action plans we created for policymakers have resulted in real change taking place.

“This year we have provided a series of toolkits for people on the ground, working directly with these children, to help them implement our recommendations and make changes that will improve outcomes for all children.”

Baroness Anne Longfield, Centre for Young Lives founder and former Children’s Commissioner for England, said:

“Today's report is both a warning and a call to action. It shows us that inequalities are widening, and that too many children are being failed before they even begin their school journey.

“But it also points to a better path—one in which we use the evidence we have, build on the successes of the Child of the North campaign, and match the Government’s ambition with real, sustained action.

“The future can be brighter, but that will only happen if we make children’s wellbeing, development, and readiness for school a national priority. Every child deserves to start school healthy, happy, and ready to learn. Anything less is a betrayal of their potential, and of our collective future.”

ENDS

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