Table-topping success down to years of work

Tranmere Park Primary in Guiseley, near Leeds, was one of five schools in the region which saw all of their 11-year-olds get to the standard expected of the age group in reading and maths tests and writing assessments marked by teachers this summer.

It was given the top ranking because it had the biggest year group of the five schools in the region which had 100 per cent pass rates.

Department for Education figures show that 45 pupils at the school made the grade.

Headteacher Kirsten Finley told the Yorkshire Post that the success was not only achieved in the summer but as the result of five years hard work aimed at ensuring every pupil achieved pass marks.

She said: “I am really delighted. Getting children to the level expected of the age in reading, writing and maths is really important because it has been shown to directly affect their life chances, the rest of their education and the jobs they go into.

“It is the result of a strategy we put in place five years ago to ensure we got to 100 per cent. We achieved it for the first time last year and I am really delighted to see us achieve it again.”

Mrs Finley told the Yorkshire Post that success in the key stage two tests sat by 11-year-olds in their final year in primary school showed how well a school had done with pupils when they were much younger.

She said that if pupils could become confident at reading, writing and maths at a young age their education will flourish.

She also said this approach had seen boys outperform girls and embrace reading and writing.

Tranmere Park Primary was one of five schools in the Yorkshire region that achieved a 100 per cent success rate in the standard assessment tests.

The others were St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary in Sheffield, Rook Nest Academy in Wakefield, St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Wetherby and Adel Primary School in Leeds.

There were also another 14 schools in the region that were ranked in the top 200 schools nationally for scores in reading, writing and maths. St Andrew CE Primary in Hull was the highest ranked in the city with 98 per cent of pupils making the grade – the same score achieved by Greetland Academy, near Halifax.