Free school meals and attainment at age 11
Key points
- The proportion of 11-year-olds not reaching Level 4 at KS2 is markedly higher (between 30% and 40%) among pupils eligible for free school meals (FSM) than among other pupils (between 15% and 25%).
- The gap between FSM-eligible pupils and other pupils is most significant among White British pupils.
- In Inner London, 37% of White British pupils who are FSM-eligible do not attain Level 4 compared to 31% of other pupils
The proportion of 11-year-olds not reaching Level 4 at Key Stage 2, by ethnicity and free school meal status
What does this graph show?
The graph compares Inner and Outer London with the rest of England according to whether pupils are entitled to free school meals and whether or not they are counted as White British.
At between 30% and 40%, the proportion of 11-year-olds not reaching Level 4 at KS2 is markedly higher among pupils eligible for free school meals (FSMs) than among other pupils (15%–25%). This is the case for both Inner and Outer London as for the rest of England irrespective of whether the pupils are White British or not.
The main difference between the two ethnic groupings in Inner and Outer London is the proportion of non-FSM pupils who do not reach Level 4. This figure is higher among pupils who are not White British (20%) than those who are (15%). Again, however, London is no different in this respect from the rest of England. As a result, the gap between FSM-eligible and other pupils is most significant among White British pupils.
Among FSM-eligible pupils, the proportion of 11-year-olds not reaching Level 4 usually lies between 35% and 40% for White British pupils and 30% and 40% for pupils who are not White British. The picture is different in Inner London, where 37% of White British pupils do not attain Level 4 compared to 31% of other pupils.
There are also differences between ethnic groups which deserve consideration. For example, whereas less than a fifth of White British pupils are eligible for FSM, half of Bangladeshi pupils are.
Data used
National Pupil Database, DCSF 2009
Figures only include pupils attending state-funded schools.
Indicator last updated: 26 July 2010
Latest News
Supermarket staff 'live in poverty'
The Fair Pay Network has criticised the four largest supermarket chains - Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda and Morrisons - for paying... More...
Case Study
Case study: Daryl
Daryl, a British citizen aged 53, spent most of his life in the USA. He returned to the UK in 2006 after a divorce. He worked as a truck driver in the USA and ran a cleaning business. When I...More…
Other indicators in Children
- Poverty in Inner and Outer London
- Child ill health
- Infant deaths by borough
- Attainment at age 11 by borough
- Households in temporary accommodation
- Underage conception by borough
- Children in workless households over time
- Attainment at age 11 by region
- Families receiving in-work benefits
- Child, adult and pensioner poverty
- London's low income population
- Child poverty and work
- Child and adult poverty and work
View all indicators
Glossary
Level 4 at KS2:
an educational standard for 11-year-olds.
Outer London:
Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Bromley, Bexley, Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Sutton, Waltham Forest
Inner London:
Camden, Hackney, Hammersmith & Fulham, Haringey, Islington, Kensington & Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Westminster