Children across England are living through a national “emergency”, according to a landmark report exposing “Dickensian” inequalities that can shape their future prospects from the earliest years.
The most detailed analysis of children’s wellbeing ever undertaken has identified stark differences between local authority areas. Middlesbrough in the North East ranked worst overall, while Cheshire East in the North West recorded the strongest results.
Commissioned by Dame Rachel de Souza, England’s Children’s Commissioner, the study examined 162 indicators covering children’s health, education, safety, housing, welfare and involvement in crime.
Among the areas facing the greatest challenges were Hounslow in west London, Bradford in West Yorkshire and Nottingham in the East Midlands.
At the other end of the scale, children in Surrey were found to be among the most advantaged, alongside those living in the London boroughs of Merton and Richmond upon Thames.
Due to be published tomorrow, the report says one in three children are not considered ready for school when they begin Reception.
By the age of 16, meanwhile, more than half of pupils fail to secure a good grade in both English and maths at GCSE level.
The findings also show that 12 per cent of young people do not feel safe in their neighbourhood, while at least one million children were referred to mental health services and remained active cases last year.
England’s children are facing a national “emergency”, with a major report highlighting “Dickensian” inequalities that are influencing their life chances. Pictured: Dame Rachel de Souza, England’s Children’s Commissioner
In a speech tomorrow, Dame Rachel is expected to say that the report aims to “shine a light on where children need the most rigorous attention”.
“Every single local area in England has work to do to make lives better for their children,” she will say.
“In some communities, these challenges amount to nothing less than a state of emergency.
“Not everywhere. But what we see here is a litany of failure. In so many areas of the country, children are being radically failed.”
Dame Rachel’s team used 96 of the measures to score each local authority and identify the places where children face the most difficult conditions.
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The analysis found that children in Blackpool, Lancashire, were 27 times more likely to be missing from education than pupils in Lambeth, south London.
They were also 46 times more likely to be permanently or temporarily excluded from school than children in Wiltshire.
GCSE results showed another dramatic divide: the share of children achieving grade 5 or higher in English and maths stood at 70 per cent in Richmond upon Thames, compared with just 31 per cent in Knowsley, near Liverpool.
Richmond upon Thames and Knowsley also occupied opposite ends of the rankings for access to enjoyable activities. While 93 per cent of children in Richmond said they had fun things to do, the figure fell to 72 per cent in Knowsley.
Westmorland and Furness in Cumbria offered children the best access to libraries, according to the findings, while Sunderland in Tyne and Wear recorded the weakest performance.
Feelings of safety varied sharply too. Almost one in four children in Croydon, south London, said they felt unsafe locally, compared with fewer than 7 per cent in Bedford.
The number of children living in temporary accommodation varied from one per 10,000 in Hartlepool, County Durham, to 1,169 per 10,000 – over one in 100 – in Westminster, London.
Cheshire East scored best overall – 730 out of 960 possible points – partly due to low rates of children in temporary accommodation, little school absence and high vaccination and dental care uptake.
Middlesbrough scored lowest – 408 out of a total of 960 possible points – partly due to a large proportion of children feeling unsafe, high levels of school absence and exclusion, poor primary school attainment and few public playgrounds.
The data came from the Department for Education and ten other public bodies.
Dame Rachel called on the Prime Minister Andy Burnham to create a children’s emergency fund to bring services above a minimum standard in every part of the country.
A deputy mayor should be appointed in each area as part of the devolution programme to tackle the issue, she said.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell said: ‘We’re investing and reforming at every stage of a child’s journey, from more childcare support for their earliest years and higher standards in our schools, broader community support with the rollout of our National Youth strategy and Young Future hubs, to more training and job opportunities as they approach adulthood.
‘Alongside that, I’m bringing local leaders together to help shape the future of education in their areas. We’re putting more power in their hands to deliver.’