Government welcomes Sats results

Tuesday, 23 August 2005 12:00 AM

The government has welcomed news that primary school Sats results showed a slight improvement this year.

The latest figures from the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) show a one per cent improvement in the number of 11-year-olds attaining the required standard in English and maths.

Schools minister Jacqui Smith believes the results are a vindication for the national Sats tests. "The level of achievement for boys and girls in English and maths has never been higher," she said.

Seventy-five per cent of 11-year-olds achieved the expected level in maths, 79 per cent did so in English while science results remained level at 86 per cent.

Key Stage One results were even higher, with 85 per cent of pupils hitting the required reading level and 91 per cent passing their maths tests.

Ms Smith said the results showed the government's "unrelenting focus on the basics" is paying off.

"I warmly congratulate children and teachers for their hard work in achieving these results," she said.

Teachers have also welcomed the improved results. Steve Sinnott, head of the National Union of Teachers, suggested they showed that teachers have been performing well, in spite of schools coming under heavy criticism about falling standards.

"Despite the government's crude mechanism for measuring primary children's achievement the underlying message is that primary teachers have sustained and secured further improvements in pupil performance," he said.

However, in spite of the improved results, Sats performance is still falling short of government targets.

The DfES is hoping that 85 per cent of Key Stage One and Two English and maths candidates will reach the target level by 2006.

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