Five-year-olds in Calderdale are catching up with counterparts in Kirklees when it comes getting a good start to their school career.

Figures out today show 64.5% of children in Calderdale are achieving a good level of development by the age of five according to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, up from 55.3% in 2014 – one of the biggest improvements in England.

The latest results see the area catching up to Kirklees where 65.2% of children achieved the expected level, up from 61.3% the year before.

Children achieving a good level of development are those achieving at least the expected level within the areas of learning: communication and language; physical development; and personal, social and emotional development; literacy; and mathematics.

Nearly two-thirds of children (66.3%) across England are achieving a good level of development and reaching at least the expected level across all early learning goals, an increase of 5.9 percentage points (ppts) on 2014.

The EYFS framework sets the statutory standards for the development, learning and care of children from birth to five.

Children are assessed by providers of early years care, such as childminders, nurseries and pre-schools, on 17 criteria. An assessment is done in the school year in which the child will turn five.

Literacy ability is judged on measures such as being able to use cues such as pictures to understand basic sentences, with children being encouraged to link sounds and letters and to begin to read and write.

In maths children are expected to be able to count to 20 and do simple adding adding and subtracting, as well as solve simple problems with shapes, measurements, time and money.