Yorkshire primary schools 'biggest improvers'

John Roberts Education Correspondent

YORKSHIRE primary schools are delivering the biggest improvements in English and maths results in the country, new figures reveal.

The region has seen England’s biggest increase in pupils who achieve the expected improvements between the ages of seven and 11 in English, according to test scores over the past four years, published yesterday.

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Three per cent more children made “two levels of progress” in English in Yorkshire schools last year than in 2006. The nine per cent rise in the number of pupils making the grade in maths from 2006 to 2009 at Yorkshire primary schools was the joint highest in the country along with schools in the West Midlands and London.

However the figures still show that almost one in five primary school pupils, both in Yorkshire and nationally, are not making the expected level of progress in the two core subjects.

Leeds and Bradford yesterday were among the top 10 education authorities in the country for improved maths results in the past 12 months.

The statistics from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) show the level of pupils in each of England’s 150 education authorities who have improved by “two levels” in English and maths from the ages of seven to 11.

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From 2006 to 2009 the number of Bradford pupils making the expected progress in maths rose from 66 per cent to 81 per cent. From 2008 to last year it rose by six per cent – one of the biggest improvements in the country.

Leeds schools also saw a six per cent increase in the number of Continued on Page 6.