The gap between the proportion of poorer pupils judged as having at a good level of development at age four or five and their classmates has widened for the first time in four years.

New statistics published by the Department for Education today show that this year 57 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals were judged at a good level of development at the end of reception year, compared to 74 per cent of all other pupils.

Both figures are up by 1 percentage point compared to 2017.

However, unrounded figures show the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers has risen from 17.0 percentage points last year to 17.3 percentage points this year.

It is the first time that the gap has widened in the past four years.

The statistics are “very concerning” said Neil Leitch, chief executive of early years charity the Pre-School Learning Alliance (PSLA) today.

To reach a good level of development children must have reached the early learning goal in 12 of the 17 areas in which they are assessed by their teachers.

These include being able to count to 20, read simple sentences and take turns when playing.

Mr Leitch said: “We know that a quality early education sets our youngest children up for a life-long love of learning - and while it’s important to remember that all children are individuals who develop at their own pace, it’s still very concerning to see that the gap between the number of children eligible for free school meals and their peers achieving a ‘good level of development’ at the end of reception is continuing to persist.

“At a time when the government continues to stress the importance of social mobility, it’s clear that much more needs to be done to ensure that all children, and especially those from more disadvantaged backgrounds, are given the best possible start to their educational journeys.”

In 2013, just 36 per cent of pupils on free school meals were at a good level of development, compared to 55 per cent of all pupils - a gap of 19 percentage points.

Since then, pupils on free school meals have progressed faster than others, the gap closing from 18.9 percentage points in 2014 to 17.7 percentage points in 2015, 17.3 percentage points in 2016 and 17.0 percentage points in 2017.

The overall proportion of four and five-year-olds reaching a good level of development in 2018 was 71.5 per cent, a rise from 70.7 per cent in 2017.

Damian Hinds, the education secretary, said: “It’s encouraging to see an increase in the proportion of children reaching a good level of development in their early skills as we know these are an important building block for their development.

“However once again these figures highlight the gap between disadvantaged children and their more affluent peers, with too many arriving at school without these crucial building blocks, leaving them at an unfair disadvantage.

“This is why we are offering 15 free hours of early learning and childcare per week to the most disadvantaged two-year-olds, to give those children access to high quality early years support.

“I am also really focused on the local variation in these statistics - with disadvantaged children in London substantially outperforming their peers outside of the capital. We are using programmes like our Opportunity Areas and Opportunity North East to focus on these local variations and work with communities to find solutions and provide support.

“But we know parents are crucial to their child’s development which is why I am working with a coalition of charities, organisations and businesses to look at how we can better support parents with children’s early language and literacy development at home.”