Literacy news

Primary School Achievement and Attainment Tables 2009 released

2 Apr 2009

The results showed slight improvements in the 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
• 87 per cent of pupils reached the expected level in Reading while 68 per cent achieved Level 4 for writing

However, The Times also reports that these results also show that more than 160,000 11-year-olds — a quarter of the total — left primary school last year without reaching this standard in English and maths.

The results for boys were lower, with 30 per cent failing to reach Level 4 in English and maths. However, for maths alone, boys did better, with 79 per cent gaining Level 4, against 78 per cent of girls.

Sarah McCarthy-Fry, the Schools Minister, said that the results represented a significant improvement on 1997, but added that she recognised that there was still some way to go.

See the figures at the DCSF website.

Read the article at the Times website.

(Times, 2 April 2009)

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