A report launched by Save the Children, based on a University of Bristol study, says children who start school behind often never catch up.
Save the Children says a quarter of boys in England – 80,000 – started reception class struggling to speak a full sentence or follow instructions.
The report compared girls’ and boys’ scores in the early language and communication goals of the Early Years Foundation Stage assessment taken at the end of Reception by all pupils in England. It found that, overall last year, 25% of boys were unable to meet these requirements, compared with 14% of girls but for those on free school meals, the difference was greater, with 38% of boys not meeting the standard compared with 23% of girls.
The report found that there was no area in England where boys were outperforming girls in early language skills, on average.
Responding to the report for the BBC, a spokesperson for the Department for Education said “the number of qualified staff is rising with more trained graduates in the workforce and a record number of providers rated Good or Outstanding.
“This investment is paying off, latest figures show more than 80 per cent of children are reaching the expected communication and language skills by age five, but we will continue working with the sector until every child gets the high-quality education they deserve.”
