| “In 2010, 19% of 11-year-olds assessed at Key Stage 2 did not reach the expected standard of Level 4 in English. This is down from 25% in 2000. A similar proportion lacked Level 4 in maths in 2010 as 2009, down from 28% a decade earlier. “There has been a steady downward trend in the proportion of 11-year-olds failing to reach Level 4 at Key Stage 2. The fastest progress was made in the mid-to late-1990s. In the five years between 1995 and 2000, the proportion not getting Level 4 in English and maths each dropped by 23 percentage points. In the ten years since, the proportion has further declined by ten percentage points. “Substantial inequalities in attainment still persist between poorer children (those receiving free school meals) and other children. For instance, in 2010, 40% of boys receiving free schools meals did not reach Level 4 for English compared with 20% of other boys. There are some signs that the gaps might be closing slightly – at the very least, the improvements seen in Figure 3 above have been seen among deprived and non-deprived students alike. “To varying extends, these patterns are evident at ages 16 and 19 as well. Certainly, in absolute terms, the proportion not attaining expected standards has fallen quite steadily over time.” “In the year to 2009/10, the child poverty rate fell to 29%, the second fall in two years. Child poverty fell by around one-seventh under the previous Labour Government.” “The poverty rate for working-age adults without dependent children rose both in 2009/10 and over the last decade, it now stands at 20%.” “The pensioner poverty rate, at 16%, is now around half the rate it was in 1997.” “By mid-2011, six million people were unemployed, lacking but wanting work or working part-time because no full time job was available. Though no higher than the previous year, this was 2 million higher than in 2004.” “The proportion of households in fuel poverty ahs risen significantly in the last few years. Almost all households in the bottom tenth by income are in fuel poverty, as are half of households in the second bottom tenth.” “The number of households accepted as homeless in England rose in 2010/11 for the first time since 2003/04 and now stands at 65,000. The number of court orders for mortgage repossessions in England a Wales rose to 21,000 in the first half of 2011, the first significant rise for three years.” | 