Children in northern England being failed by educational divide, study finds

Hundreds of thousands of children growing up in the north of England are falling behind their southern counterparts because of a stark educational divide, according to research by the office of the children’s commissioner for England.

The statistics show that where in the country a child goes to school has a marked effect on their attainment. Children in major northern cities do markedly worse than those in London or the south-east: in the Thames Valley Berkshire region, where the prime minister, Theresa May, has her constituency, 8% of 11-year-olds reached a higher standard at Key Stage 2, compared to just 3% in Liverpool and 4% in Leeds.

The figures will be published as part of the children’s commissioner Anne Longfield’s ongoing Growing Up North project, looking at how growing up in particular areas impacts on a child’s life chances. The study was launched in December 2015 and will make recommendations later this year to improve children’s lives and bridge the north-south divide. Read more