STRIKING figures show less than a third of children in need in Bradford met the required standard across reading, writing and maths last year.

The figures show looked-after children, pupils in care and those with a child protection plan lag-behind their key stage two classmates.

They also show the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged children in key stage one grew during the coronavirus pandemic.

The latest Department for Education figures show 29 per cent of children in need in key stage two in Bradford met the required standard for reading, writing and maths in 2021-22.

This is compared to 57 per cent for all pupils, outlining the gulf between more vulnerable pupils and their peers.

Meanwhile, further DfE figures show the gap between children in need and all pupils in key stage one has grown during the pandemic.

The proportion of children in need across England reaching the expected standard for reading and writing fell by 21 per cent and 28 per cent respectively from 2018-19 to 2021-22.

But attainment for all pupils in the same subjects across the same time period fell by 11 per cent and 17 per cent.

It was a similar story for maths and science, with the percentage of vulnerable pupils meeting the expected grade falling by 20 per cent and 13 per cent respectively – compared to 11 per cent and 6 per cent for all pupils.

The DfE figures show 46 per cent of key stage two children in need in Bradford reached the expected standard for reading, 35 per cent for writing and 40 per cent for maths.

For all pupils, 72 per cent met the expected reading standard, 68 per cent in writing and 70 per cent in maths.

Marium Haque, strategic director of children’s services, said: “The publication of the 2021/22 educational outcomes for children in need, including those looked after by local authorities, rightly emphasises the paramount importance of supporting our most vulnerable children in education.

"The report highlights that across England these children were roughly half as likely to achieve the expected educational standards at the end of primary school as their peers.

“In Bradford, we know that educational outcomes in 2021/22 for children with a social worker were better than the national average but also that we must do more to build on the progress made in supporting our most vulnerable children to achieve in education.

“The most recent GCSE results for children in care to Bradford Council demonstrate that the education support they receive through our schools and the Council’s Virtual School has enabled them to achieve above the regional and national averages for children in care. However, we also know we must do more to continue to narrow the gap in attainment between them and their peers.”