Girls outperforming boys from an early age

The individual scale point results for the Foundation Stage Profile in England show nearly three-quarters of girls were able to attempt writing for a variety of purposes, while only 54 per cent of boys could do the same thing by the age of five. Girls were 16 per cent more likely to be able to hold a pencil and form recognisable letters.

Anne Longfield, chief executive of 4Children said: "The fact that girls are outperforming boys by 20 per cent in communication, language and literacy skills, as well as creative development is particularly concerning - especially considering the value of these competencies in our increasingly communications driven marketplace.

"It is important that boys in particular are encouraged to develop these skills at an early age to ensure that they don't continue to lag behind once they enter the school system or risk limiting their career choices later in life."
 
Children's minister Dawn Primarolo said the figures showed that the lowest-achieving children have not only kept pace but improved faster than the rest.

She said: "It is also reassuring to see the investment in Sure Start children's centres and greater access to free early learning are making a difference."

She added: "We welcome feedback on the usefulness of these statistics from local authorities and early years professionals."