TEENAGE boys in Bolton have slipped further behind the girls in English classes than almost anywhere else in Greater Manchester.

Latest English test results show the gap between 14-year-old boys and 14-year-old girls is the widest in the county.

But the older boys have managed to catch up and slightly overtake the girls in maths and science.

The size of the gender gap in English is a national problem and the extent of it is revealed in the latest curriculum test results for seven, 11 and 14-year-olds.

Although each set of results is achieved by different classes of children, they show how attainment can change with age.

Last year, seven-year-old girls in Bolton schools forged ahead of the boys in all three main subjects, particularly in English.

But 11-year-old boys lagged behind the girls in English, although they were slightly better than the girls in science and maths.

Fourteen-year-old boys were even further behind the girls in English than their younger classmates with only just over half, 52pc, achieving English standards for their age compared to 72pc of girls. The difference in maths and science was minimal.

The big difference in English standards was mirrored elsewhere in Greater Manchester, but only Rochdale had the same wide gap as Bolton for 14-year-olds.

In recent years Bolton schools have tried several initiatives to bring the boys' standards in English in line with the girls.

But many experts believe little can be done because it is an age-old problem which has only come to light in recent years because of better school statistics.

Overall the Bolton results hovered around the national average. On the whole, more seven-year-olds are achieving standards for their age than their older schoolfriends.

Bottom

But if the results became league tables for Greater Manchester, the 11 and 14-year-olds would come about halfway but the seven-year-olds would be towards the bottom of the table.

The national average for 11-year-olds in English is 64pc, maths 58pc, science 69pc. The Bolton average for 11-year-olds in English is 64pc, maths is 60pc, science 64pc.

The national average for 14-year-olds in English is 64pc, maths 59pc, science 56pc. The Bolton average for 14-year-olds in English 61pc, maths 58pc, science 52pc.

There are no national averages for seven year olds - but assessment of Bolton seven-year-olds in English is 76pc, maths 82pc, science 81pc.

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