School Readiness

Early Years Foundation Stage tests have shown marginally higher levels of school readiness among London’s young children than those in nearly every other region of England, except for the South East which scores more highly in some metrics. This regional disparity has remained for the 2024/25 data, though the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (EYFSP) has been significantly revised since the previous data available (2019*), so comparisons over time are not possible.

When broken down by various characteristics – ethnicity, first language, eligibility for free school meals, those with SEN support needs – London pupils do at least as well, and in most cases better, than those in England overall with the same characteristics. There are still differences between these sub-groups, however, with Chinese, Indian and Mixed White and Asian children most likely to achieve a Good Level of Development (GLD) in London.

* There were no assessments in 2020 or 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.