FURTHER to your article and comment on the gap between the educational achievement of York’s most disadvantaged children and their peers (Education fear over rich and poor gap, July28), I would like to reassure readers that I am absolutely committed to ensuring that all young people in York have the education and support they need to fulfil their aspirations.

I welcome the recent scrutiny report highlighting the issue. Because by and large York schools are high achieving, problems don’t always show up immediately and, unless we fully identify problems, we can’t properly tackle them.

While we know that schools in York work hard to support all their pupils, we recognise that more work needs to be done across the children’s workforce to ensure that our most disadvantaged young people receive the extra support they need and deserve to achieve their full potential.

Now we have the data we will use it to help all our young people achieve their potential.

We are already looking at those areas where the achievement gap for disadvantaged pupils – both locally and nationally – is narrowest, to see what we can learn from them.

We will continue to work with schools, childcare and education colleagues across the city to make York the best place in the country for children to grow up.

Councillor Janet Looker Cabinet member for Education, Children and Young People, City of York Council, West Offices, York.