Standards in primary schools in Wales have improved more in the last year than in any of the four previous years, according to the annual report of the inspection body Estyn.

But there is concern that some are still "teaching to the test" - and that children's achievements drop when they reach secondary school.

In schools, far more lessons than last year are taught well Chief schools inspector, Susan Lewis

Truancy also remains a problem, with one school in five failing to reach the Welsh Assembly Government's target of 92% attendance.

And one school in 10 in the primary sector has problems with space or the standard of its buildings.

Estyn inspectors rated standards in primary schools as good or very good in 60% of cases, a 10% increase on last year.

The number of primary schools where standards were considered "unsatisfactory" has fallen from 8% to 4%.

The chief inspector of schools in Wales, Susan Lewis, said some teachers in the final year of primary school "continue to concentrate too much on activities in English, mathematics and science that focus too narrowly on questions similar to those in the national tests".

"This often leaves too little time for other subjects and for practical and problem-solving activities", she said.

Standards

In secondary schools, overall standards have risen again this year - lessons are good or very good in 69% of cases, up 10% on last year.

But the report said: "There are large differences in the standards that pupils achieve between one school or another."

In the case of Welsh as a second language, there is more unsatisfactory work than in any other subject, particularly at key stage three.

Most schools have enough staff, but there are difficulties in subjects including physics, design technology, maths, English, Welsh as a second language, art, RE and geography.

Chief schools inspector, Susan Lewis, launched the report

In further education there has been an overall improvement again but according to the report, not enough students gain a qualification they enrol for.

In Welsh-medium education, pupils taking subjects at GSCE achieve a higher percentage of the top A-C grades than those taken through the medium of English.

Ms Lewis launched the 2001-2002 report in Heronsbridge Special School in Bridgend.

'Targets'

She said: "In schools, far more lessons than last year are taught well.

"Overall, primary and secondary schools have reached the target set by the Welsh Assembly Government that teaching should be good or very good in 50% of lessons and satisfactory or better in over 95%.

"Many schools have taken on these targets for themselves.

"About three-quarters of them meet both targets, but about one school in 20 misses them by a long way."