To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative data her Department collects on the standard of boys' (a) language and (b) literacy skills prior to commencing primary education.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework requires early years providers in England, ordinarily schools, to complete the EYFS profile assessment at the end of the academic year in which a child turns five. This is usually reception year.

Each child’s level of development is assessed against 17 early learning goals (ELGs) across all seven areas of learning in the EYFS. This includes communication and language and literacy. For each ELG, practitioners must assess whether a child is meeting the level of development expected at the end of the EYFS, or if they are not yet reaching this level and should be assessed as ‘emerging’.

The EYFS profile results for the 2021/22 academic year are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/early-years-foundation-stage-profile-results/2021-22. These statistics include breakdowns by characteristics such as gender.