Five-year-olds in Hillingdon and Harrow have seen some of the biggest improvements in key skills needed to get them ready for school.

The government figures released on Tuesday (October 13) show that 65.2% of children in Hillingdon achieved a good level of development by the age of five in 2015, according to the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework, up from 52.5% in 2014

This makes the area one of the biggest increases in England.

In Harrow, the proportion west London, overtaking Ealing with 69.6%.

Brent had the lowest proportion of children in west London achieving a good level at 63%.

Children achieving a good level of development are those achieving at least the expected level within the following 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 on 2014.

Overall 64.1% of children reached at least the expected level across all early learning goals. This has increased by 6.1 percentage points from 2014.

The gender gap for percentage achieving a good level of development has reduced from 16.3 percentage points in 2014 to 15.6 in 2015.

Similarly the gap for the percentage achieving at least the expected level in all early learning goals decreased from 17.3 in 2014 to 16.6 in 2015.

Both girls and boys have improved but boys have reportedly improved at a faster rate.

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 a list of 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 addition and subtraction, as well as solve simple problems with shapes, measurements, time and money.