Low educational outcomes

Find out more about Low educational outcomes by visiting the indicators in this section, listed on the right.

In general in the UK, children in low-income households are less likely to do well at school. This section therefore looks at achievements by 11 and 16 year olds in schools funded by local authorities in London.

The first London's Poverty Profile report showed how much levels of educational attainment had improved in London over the previous decade. For 11 and 16 year olds right across the capital, the proportion of children not achieving basic levels of education had fallen significantly. Where Inner London had previously been much worse than other English regions, particularly at GCSE level, it had, by 2007, moved very close to the average. Outer London had a better GCSE pass rate than any region in England.

All this was despite London having a much higher proportion of poor children (proxied by free school meal recipiency) than other parts of the country. 22% of primary school pupils and 19% of secondary school pupils in London get free school meals, compared to 15% and 11% respectively in England on average. Free school meals are offered to children whose parents claim out-of-work benefits. In much of the analysis in this section, we look at the difference in attainment between children on free school meals and other children.

Additional information

London's school-age population is very different from the school-age population elsewhere in England. For example:

• More pupils are entitled to free school meals: 25% of primary school children and 22% of secondary school children, compared to national averages of 13%. On average, pupils entitled to free schools meals have lower levels of attainment than others.
• Pupil 'churn' between schools is also higher – about 14% of Inner London pupils change schools in an average year, as do 6% of Outer London pupils, compared to 5% elsewhere. In some schools, the turnover is as high as 50% in a single year. Pupils who move school frequently do not attract any extra funding, so high pupil mobility puts additional strain on school resources.
• 11% of London's secondary school pupils attend schools outside the state sector, rising to 15% in Inner London, compared to 4% in the North East of England and a national average of 8%.

Data used

Department for Children, Schools and Families (2007) Schools and Pupils in England

Association of London Government (2005) Breaking Point: Examining the Disruption Caused by Pupil Mobility

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