Teachers predict a fifth of young kids won't meet standard in maths or reading at KS2

Teachers predict a fifth of young kids won't meet standard in maths or reading at KS2 EXCLUSIVE: Teachers have predicted a fifth of children are not expected to meet standard in maths (18%) or reading (19%) at KS2, grim department for education research shows Teachers have predicted a fifth of children are not expected to meet standard in maths (18%) or reading (19%) at KS2, grim department for education research shows. Expectations are lower for more deprived children and those with special educational needs and disabilities, the study found. Just 61% of younger kids on free school meals are predicted by teachers to hit the standard in maths at the end of primary school, compared to 82% who don’t get free lunches. There is a similar disparity gap in reading standards, at 59% vs 81%. For children with special educational needs, only 38% are predicted to meet the expected standard in maths, compared with 82% for children without special educational needs. In year one, 27% of children eligible for free school meals are in the lowest group for maths and 30% for English, compared with 12% and 14% respectively for non-FSM children. The five to 12 report, which was shared with the Mirror, is a longitudinal study following 8,632 children through their primary school education, tracking the factors that shape a child’s outcomes. Findings for the first year of the study show gaps for children from poorer backgrounds and those with SEND are emerging early, without the right support to set them up for success. For instance, children eligible for free school meals were twice as likely to have a special educational need, at 20% compared to 10% who were not eligible for free lunches. They also scored lower on cognitive assessments and were more likely to display behavioural difficulties. Education Secretary Lucy Powell said children are fighting an "uphill battle" against a system not made for them. Ms Powell told The Mirror: "Our landmark study lays bare a stark truth. As early as age five or six, poorer children are already more than twice as likely to be in the bottom set for maths and English compared to their better-off classmates." She continued: "Right now, children across the country are starting school already fighting an uphill battle, because the system isn’t built for them. "Our new study proves it – children from poorer backgrounds and those with additional needs are being predicted to be worse off in maths and English by the end of primary school. As many will receive their GCSE and A Level results over the next few weeks, it shows just how far back these gaps go, and why we have to step in early." She said the Government's SEND reforms will put children like these first, "making sure every child gets the right help early, without a fight. “This study will continue to hold me, and this government, to our word," she added. "We will build and deliver a system that lifts every child up and puts no limit on what they can go on to achieve.” In February, the Department for Education published major plans that pledge to better support children with special educational needs and disabilities in mainstream schools. In what is billed as a decade-long reform programme, billions of pounds is being invested to make mainstream schools more inclusive. All mainstream teachers will be expected to be trained in SEND, while 60,000 new specialist places in mainstream settings will be created. The Government has also announced measures to tackle the disadvantage gap, including scrapping the two-child benefit limit and extending free school meal access to all kids from families who receive Universal Credit. 'I had to battle to get my child into school as support wasn't there' A mum who had to "battle" to get her autistic son to go to school has said disadvantage between kids starts from the "first day" of their education. Hayley Harrison, who lives in Sunderland, said her son George, 7, has "thrived" since he started at a specialist provision after suffering from a lack of support in mainstream education. "It used to be a battle getting him into school," she said. "I had to quit work for a while myself because it was just every day I'd get a call from the school to go and pick him up, that he just wasn't settling. So by the time I was getting to work, I was having to come back home, and it just it took a toll on our lives financially, emotionally. It was just awful." "As a parent carer, it just confirms what families like mine have been saying for years – disadvantage doesn't start in secondary school, it starts from the very first day," she added. "George is autistic and non-speaking, and from the moment he started school he was already on the back foot. It wasn't because he lacked ability, it was because the system wasn't built around how he learns and communicates. He didn’t have access to the resources he needed, so instead of celebrating those first school milestones, we were just trying to help him get through the day." She said she hopes the DfE's research will mean efforts to give support to children earlier in their lives, as well as better training for teachers, could help improve children's outcomes later in life. "Early identification and early intervention can change the entire trajectory of a child's education, and if this report leads to those changes, then it has the potential to make a real difference," she said. She added that George won't be able to gain GCSEs or A-Levels but that specialist provision is helping to build his independence. "He's learning life skills and functional skills to ensure that when he does reach the age where he's not in school, he might be able to make himself some toast, or I might be able to accompany him to the shop and he can pay for his own things."