Indicator
Inequalities in school attainment
Published
29 April 2025
Last updated
11 May 2026
Time to read
About 2 mins
About 2 mins
Key points
- Girls outperform boys at early years foundation stage, key stage 2 and key stage 4, although the gap closes as they move through the educational stages.
- Pupils eligible for free school meals have lower attainment than pupils who are not eligible and this gap widens over time.
- Pupils with special educational needs (SEN) have lower attainment than pupils without. Children on education, health and care (EHC) plans have the lowest attainment. This gap narrows as children go through the education stages.
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This chart shows the percentage of children in England with the expected education level at early years foundation stage and key stages 2 and 4, grouped by gender, free school meal (FSM) eligibility and special educational needs (SEN), in 2024/25.
- A higher proportion of girls have expected education levels than boys. The difference between boys and girls is the largest at early years foundation stage, with 75.3% of girls achieving the expected level compared with 61.6% of boys. By key stage 4 the gap narrows – 66.8% of girls compared with 62.9% of boys.
- At early years foundation stage, 51.3% of children eligible for free school meals and 72.5% of children not eligible for free school meals have the expected level.
- By key stage 4, the gap is wider – 44% of children eligible for free school meals and 72.2% of children not eligible for free school meals have the expected level.
- At early years foundation stage, 76.5% of pupils without identified SEN, 26.4% of pupils receiving SEN support and 4% of children on an education, health and care (EHC) plan have the expected level.
- By key stage 4, the gap narrows slightly. 72.6% of pupils without identified SEN, 38.9% of pupils receiving SEN support and 14.1% of pupils on an EHC plan have the expected level.
- Children at the expected level refers to ‘Good level of Development’ at early years foundation stage, children who met the expected standard at reading, writing and maths at key stage 2 and children achieving Grades 9–4 at GCSE English and maths at key stage 4.
- Early years foundation stage is taught over two years and is assessed by teachers when the children reach five years of age. Early years foundation stage data is an annual child-level statutory requirement from local authorities in England which covers all children at the end of early years foundation stage in state-funded schools, maintained nursery schools and private, voluntary and independent providers where children’s early years provision is government funded.
- Key stage 2 is taught over four years and is assessed at the end of year 6. It is assessed through national tests in English reading, maths, grammar, punctuation and spelling, as well as teacher assessments in English writing and science. Key stage 2 assessments must be administered by state-funded schools, including pupils at pupil referral units, alternative provision academies and free schools. The data presented only includes state-funded schools.
- Key stage 4 is taught over two years and is assessed at the end of year 11. Most children take GCSEs or other national qualifications.
- GCSE grade 9 is the highest possible grade. Grade 4 is a standard pass and grade 5 a strong pass. The data presented only includes state-funded schools.
- A child is defined as having Special Educational Needs (SEN) if he or she ’has a learning difficulty or disability which calls for special education provision to be made for him or her’ (Section 20 Children and Families Act 2014).
- SEN support is the first level of support provided to children with special educational needs and is funded by school budgets.
- Children and young people aged up to 25 may have an education, health and care (EHC) plan if they need more support than is available through SEN support. EHC plans are funded by school budgets, as well as local authorities and parents.
- School-aged children are eligible for free school meals if their families receive other qualifying benefits such as Income Support or Universal Credit.
- All data refer to the academic year 2024/25.
Source: Department for Education, Early Years Foundation Stage profile results, England, 2024/25, Department for Education, Key stage 2 attainment, England, 2024/25, Department for Education, Key stage 4 performance, England, 2024/25
