Girls leading boys in basics after just two years at school

Fewer seven-year-old boys reached the standard expected of them in reading, writing, maths and science than girls of the same age.

The gap was widest in writing, with one in four boys (24.5 per cent) failing to achieve Level 2 compared to around one in seven (13.4 per cent) of girls – a gap of 11.1 percentage points.

In reading, 88.7 per cent of girls achieved Level 2 – the standard expected of seven-year-olds – compared to 80.9 per cent of boys.

There was a 3.3 per cent gap in favour of girls in science, with 90.4 per cent achieving the required level compared to 87.1 per cent of boys.

The gap was smallest in maths, with girls ahead by three per cent

(90.8 per cent of girls reaching Level 2 compared to 87.8 per cent of boys).

Each of the gaps has closed marginally since last year, the Department for Education (DfE) figures show.

The statistics, which are for England only, are based on teachers' assessments of pupils at the end of Key Stage 1.

They are broken down by gender, ethnicity and background.

They reveal a wide gulf remains between the attainment of the poorest pupils and their richer classmates.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said it was a "real concern" that poorer children were failing to meet the expected standard in reading and writing.

In writing, a third of pupils (33.6 per cent) eligible for Free School Meals (FSM) – a key measure of poverty – failed to reach Level 2, compared to one in six (15.5 per cent) of other students – a gap of 18.1 percentage points.

In reading, 71.7 per cent of FSM children achieved Level 2, compared to 87.9 per cent of non-FSM students – a gap of 16.2 percentage points.

The figures for maths show that 79.7 per cent of FSM pupils reached Level 2 this summer, compared to 91.7 per cent of other pupils, while in science the figures were 78.7 per cent and 91.3 per cent respectively.

Mr Gibb said: "Though there is a slight increase in the proportion of seven-year-olds reaching the expected level in reading, it is a real concern that almost a third of all Key Stage 1 children receiving free school meals are failing to achieve the standard in reading and writing. Additionally, over a third of boys receiving free school meals fail to make the grade in reading and writing.

"Getting the fundamentals right is crucial to a child's success in secondary education and throughout their adult life, and the Government is committed to getting all children reading and writing to a high standard."