I'm a bit disappointed in the Key Stage 2 results and I wish we had seen a further progress this year

Estelle Morris

The figures put a stop to what had been an upward trend in maths results - in 1999, 69% reached the required level, which was in turn a marked improvement on the previous year's figure of 59%.

Schools now face added pressure to reach the government target of 75% of 11 year olds scoring the required level in maths by next summer.

The table below shows the overall percentages of children achieving at least the level expected for their age:

	1999	2000	2001	+/-
Key Stage 1 (age 7)
English
reading	82	83	84	1
writing	83	84	86	2
spelling	71	72	75	3
maths	87	90	91	1
Key Stage 2 (age 11)
English	71	75	75	0
reading	78	83	82	-1
writing	54	55	58	3
maths	69	72	71	-1
science	78	85	87	2
Key Stage 3 (age 14)
English	64	64	64	0
maths	62	65	66	1
science	55	59	66	7

Click here for the results by gender

In English, the results showed no change, with 75% reaching the expected level for their age group.

But there was better news in science, with 87% of pupils passing at the expected standard.

Key Stage 3

In the tests sat by 14 year olds there was no change in the percentage of pupils hitting the target for English, at 64%.

But there was an improvement of one perecentage point in maths to 66% and an improvement of seven points in science, also to 66%.

The government is to publish 14 year olds' results in league tables from next year.

It has set interim targets that, by 2004, 75% of 14 year olds will be expected to reach Level 5 - the level expected for their age - in English, maths and information and communication technology (ICT). The figure for science is 70%.

David Hart wants more resources in schools

In this year's tests at age seven there was general improvement.

The proportion of pupils reaching the expected level rose one point to 84% in reading, two points in writing to 86%, three points in spelling to 75% and one point in maths, to 91%.

Ms Morris, said: "I'm a bit disappointed in the Key Stage 2 results, the 11-year-old results, and I wish we had seen a further progress this year."

But she said she remained confident that the literacy and numeracy strategies could deliver the Key Stage 2 targets for 2002.

The 2001 results showed wide variation between schools and local education authorities.

While performance in 60 of England's 150 authority areas had continued to improve, others - including some that had been high performers - had fallen back.

Praise for teachers

"I congratulate teachers every bit as much this year as in previous years," Ms Morris added.

"They continue to work tirelessly for their pupils. I will do everything I can to help them."

Raising achievement is a long-term objective and not a short-term fix

Secondary heads' leader, John Dunford

David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said the government could not simply rely on literacy and numeracy strategies to raise standards year after year.

"It must inject substantial additional resources into primary schools if improvements are to continue," said Mr Hart.

Head teachers would not be prepared to sign up to targets which they regarded as unrealistic, he added.

John Dunford, general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, said the results demonstrated that the government should not over-emphasise the figures for a single year.

"What is right is that the trend is upwards and that young people continue to achieve more highly at GCSE and A-level.

"Raising achievement is a long-term objective and not a short-term fix," he stressed.

Shortages to blame

Nigel de Gruchy, general secretary of NASUWT, put the drop in Key Stage 2 standards down to staff shortages.

"I congratulate the teachers and the pupils concerned, especially bearing in mind the difficult background which many schools have faced in the light of the staff shortages," he said.

The government should not be surprised that improvements in performance vary between schools and local education authorities.

"This is inevitable as schools compete one with another to secure the best staff available against a background of overall shortages," said Mr de Gruchy.

Head cleared of fiddling

A head teacher who let a pupil take her English and science tests early, so her family could fly to Bangladesh to be with her dying grandmother, has been cleared of irregularities.

Rod Weatherhead of Heybrook Primary School in Rochdale had been suspended while investigations were carried out.

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority concluded there had been no security breach - although it quashed the girl's results.

		Boys		Girls
	2000	2001	2000	2001	gap*
Key Stage 1 (age 7)
English
reading	79	80	88	88	8
writing	80	82	89	90	8
spelling	67	70	77	80	10
maths	89	90	91	92	2
Key Stage 2 (age 11)
English overall	70	70	79	80	10
reading	80	78	86	85	7
writing	48	50	63	65	15
maths	72	71	71	70	-1
science	84	87	85	88	1
Key Stage 3 (age 14)
English	55	56	72	73	17
maths	64	65	65	67	2
science	61	66	58	66	0
*amount by which girls' results exceed boys'

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