The difference in educational development between children eligible for free school meals who are using the benefit and those who are not has grown further apart in Essex over the last two years.

Essex County Council says it is working to increase the number of two-year-olds that can access a funded learning place in early years education.

Currently only 86 per cent of children eligible for funding at the age of two are in receipt of financial help in the county.

However, the council says that 14 per cent of those who are eligible are not receiving the help, and figures show that this group underperforms compared to those getting the funding.

Figures from 2024 show pupils not eligible for free school meals (FSM) in Essex outperform those that are by 26.6 per cent – this gap has grown from 21.9 per cent in 2022.

In Essex, 47.2 per cent achieve a good level of development and are eligible for free school meals.

That compares to a national average of 51.5 per cent who achieve a good level of development who are eligible for free school meals.

Carolyn Terry, Early years Sufficiency and Sustainability Manager at Essex County Council said: "With the disadvantaged this is why we are taking such a big focus on that two-year-old identification of need.

"It's based on financially disadvantaged children – those children that are eligible for funding at two years old.

"We know those families need more support, so the Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service is part of that."

Eligible working parents of two-year-old children can access funded childcare the term after their child turns two

This is part of the National Childcare Reforms Expansion rollout, which aims to provide more support for parents and carers across Essex.

Shamsun Noor, Head of Statutory and Regulated Customer Services at ECC welcomed the 86 per cent who do get funding but added the council was looking to increase that: "All the evidence shows us that those who are already disadvantaged in life because they are born into poor housing and poor financial circumstances, if they do not access that provision, they are further behind by the time they get to four, and then it is almost impossible for them to catch up."

Uttlesford is the highest-performing district, with 74 per cent of pupils achieving a good level of development, and Harlow is the lowest, with 65.8 per cent.

The span between the two at 8.2 per cent points is lower than in previous years – 13.5 per cent points in 2022 and 10.7 per cent points in 2023.

For the good level of development measure girls outperform boys by 14.8 per cent, pupils born in the autumn term outperform those born in the summer term by 16.6 per cent.