At London Councils’ Education Summit it was back to school for councillors and council officers from across the capital as we debated how boroughs can play a leading role in improving attainment for children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

It is a source of pride for London local government leaders and school heads that London pupils outperform their peers from the rest of the country. 60% of London children are gaining five or more A*-C GCSEs and around 80% of London schools are judged good or outstanding by Ofsted. Pupils on free school meals in London also perform better than the same cohort nationally, with 48% achieving five good GCSEs compared to 36% across the whole country.