Minister praises record of achievement

ENGLAND – Schools minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry has praised the hard work of pupils and teachers across the country as the Department for Children, Schools and Families published the Primary School Achievement and Attainment Tables.

The results showed record numbers of children achieving the expected level in English, maths and the two subjects combined. Science results remained stable with 88 per cent of 11-year-olds reaching the expected level.

The final, revised national figures showed that:

• 73 per cent of children left primary school having reached the expected level in English and maths, compared with 53 per cent in 1997;

• A record 81 per cent achieved Level 4 at English, a 1 percentage point rise from 2007;

• 79 per cent reached the expected level in maths compared to 77 per cent in 2007;

• Figures for science remain stable with almost nine out of 10 students reaching level four in the subject; and,

• 87 per cent of pupils reached the expected level in Reading while 68 per cent achieved Level 4 for writing.

Ms McCarthy-Fry said: “I would like to congratulate the pupils and teachers for their hard work in the 2008 National Curriculum Tests. We now know that 120,000 more pupils are leaving primary school equipped to succeed in their next school than were doing so 12 years ago.”