Improving outcomes by local authorities

Targets exist to improve outcomes for young children and reduce inequalities between those at risk of the poorest outcomes and the rest.

Targets only apply at local authority level, not at the level of schools, settings or individual children – it is not appropriate to set child-level targets at such a young age.

This analysis may suggest that the lowest achieving 20% of young children are concentrated in disadvantaged areas or in particular schools or settings. If they are widely spread across the area, different responses may be needed, for example to address cultural or language difficulties. The geographical characteristics will significantly affect the impact of your plans to meet the target you set. You (or a colleague) will need to look at individual pupil scores (not averages) in each scale to identify the key areas for development.