Yesterday the
Guardian datablog published maps of child poverty data based on
a report by the End Child Poverty Campaign. The campaign produced the data themselves and used the closest possible measure to that used nationally by the government (which is based on the percentage of children living in households earning below 60% of median income before housing costs). The figures presented are for mid 2012, although they've been calculated by applying national trends to local data from 2010, so are an estimate. (Interestingly the campaign say they don't have a local measure using the government's official definition, but this is published in the
Public Health Outcomes Framework and on
Local Health, both official statistics websites.)
The Guardian chose to present the data for Parliamentary Constituencies, presumably to link the numbers to a recognisable public face for each area, but the figures are available at ward level and reveal wide disparities within areas.
Just over 20% of children are living in poverty across the UK as a whole, and in London the figures range from 7% in Richmond-upon-Thames to 42% in Tower Hamlets and because housing is so expensive in London, if after housing costs figures were used, then these results would be much worse.
I decided to look at the ward-level data for Lewisham and Greenwich. The local authority figures are both 24%, just slightly above the national average figure. However, as soon as you break this down by looking at wards within local authorities a picture of big inequalities emerges. In Greenwich, Eltham North and Blackheath Westcombe have only 6 and 7% of children respectively living in poverty. The lowest figures in Lewisham are for Lee Green (14%) and Crofton Park (15%). And at the other end of the spectrum, Evelyn ward in Deptford has a staggering 37% of children living in poverty. The next nearest three wards each have 30%. Only Woolwich Riverside and Woolwich Common have figures above 30% in Greenwich borough (33 and 32% respectively).
Percentage of children in poverty,* Lewisham 2012
Ward number percent
Lee Green 448 14
Crofton Park 488 15
Blackheath 479 17
Catford South 600 17
Forest Hill 584 18
Ladywell 567 19
Perry Vale 842 22
Brockley 701 23
Sydenham 894 24
Grove Park 860 24
Rushey Green 821 24
Telegraph Hill 932 26
Whitefoot 1,193 28
Lewisham Central 991 29
Downham 1,265 30
Bellingham 1,291 30
New Cross 1,105 30
Evelyn 1,679 37
*using the End Child Poverty Campaign data and definition
Source: End Child Poverty Campaign
Percentage of children in poverty,* Greenwich 2012
Ward number percent
Eltham North 148 6
Blackheath Westcombe 153 7
Shooters Hill 366 12
Coldharbour and New Eltham 352 13
Eltham South 462 21
Kidbrooke with Hornfair 703 22
Plumstead 893 22
Peninsula 534 22
Greenwich West 708 24
Charlton 827 25
Middle Park and Sutcliffe 822 25
Eltham West 743 26
Thamesmead Moorings 1,544 27
Abbey Wood 1,253 29
Glyndon 1,287 29
Woolwich Common 1,530 32
Woolwich Riverside 1,528 33
*using the End Child Poverty Campaign data and definition
Source: End Child Poverty Campaign
Shockingly, if you take a look at where the best performing schools in Lewisham are located, it doesn't take a genius to work out where they might be... Brindishe Lee and Lee Manor schools both had 93% of their pupils achieving level 4 or above in English and Maths in the latest year for which data are available. Compare that with 71% at Deptford Park. And education isn't the only area that's affected by poverty, although it's certainly the one that is likely to impact most on likely future earning potential.
These figures should make anyone sit up and take notice and are also a reminder of what inequalities sit below the surface of figures presented at borough level.
