Primary schools fail to hit minimum targets

Last year around 120 schools did reach the benchmark of getting 60 per cent of 11-year-old pupils to master the basics in both English and maths standard assessment tests (Sats).

However, these results were undermined by the number of schools which boycotted the Sats tests during the summer of 2010.

Around a third of the region’s primary schools did not take part in the Sats because of joint industrial action carried out by both the National Association of Head Teachers and the National Union of Teachers in protest over the impact the national tests have on the teaching profession.

The boycott was not repeated this year which means that all primary schools in Yorkshire and across the country will be judged against the minimum target for the first time.

The targets were introduced by the coalition Government last year.

Schools are classed as being below the benchmark if they do not get 60 per cent of pupils to master the basics in English and maths and do not keep pace with the average level of improvement shown by pupils from the age of seven to 11.

Pupils are said to have reached the expected standard in the English and maths tests if they achieve “level four” results.

Figures released by the Department for Education (DfE) this morning will show how every primary school in the country did in key stage two Sats in both English and maths this summer.

The data will be used to publish tables ranking every education authority in England based on 11-year-olds’ pupil performance.

Last year Rotherham was the worst performing council in Yorkshire and the joint worst in the country.

A third of pupils in the town’s schools failed to master the basics in English and maths.

North Lincolnshire was ranked 10th bottom nationally with 68 per cent of pupils making the grade while North East Lincolnshire was 14th worst in England with 69 per cent of children reaching the expected standard.

York was the region’s best performer with 78 per cent of pupils achieving the expected level in both maths and English.

It was the 23rd best performing authority in the country.

The league tables will also highlight the country’s best and worst performing primaries, those which have delivered the biggest sustained improvements in results over the past four years and those which are judged to have made the biggest impact in “adding value” to their pupils’ performance.

Full tables for every education authority in Yorkshire will be published in Friday’s Yorkshire Post.