Children's drinking revealed

One in five Year 6 children drinks alcohol, a survey by Ofsted has revealed.

Twenty-one per cent of the 10 and 11-year-olds questioned said they had drunk a whole alcoholic drink before, with five per cent saying they had been drunk on at least one occasion in the last month, and another five per cent saying they had smoked before.

More than 111,000 children between the ages of 10 and 15 took part in the first national survey of its kind.

The majority of children considered themselves healthy, with 82 per cent having done more than 30 minutes of exercise three times a week.

The numbers of children who had drunk alcohol rose with age, with 21 per cent of 14 and 15-year-olds saying they had been drunk in the past month.

Tellus2: children and young people survey