SATs tests - how did your child’s school fare?

Children in our schools have made improved progress in their Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) but still lag behind the national average.

Recently published SATs results for the last academic year showed 75 per cent of Year 6 pupils attained the ‘expected standard’ in mathematics, a seven per cent increase compared to last year. There was also a three per cent increase in the number of pupils attaining expected levels in writing with 76 per cent of pupils achieving this standard.

The improvements in maths follow an initiative by the council to establish a Maths Hub and deploy subject experts to targeted schools across the city.

Deputy director for education Mike Stoneman, said: ‘Maths is a positive story. Whilst we’re still below the national average we have considerably narrowed the gap. Those schools who have engaged with our support have seen great improvements.’

Literacy overall remains a concern with 67 per cent of pupils reading at the expected level, a two per cent decrease on last year. While Portsmouth children overall made better progress across all three areas this year (58 per cent) compared to last year (56 per cent) the picture nationally also improved meaning the gap to national levels narrowed from eight per cent to seven per cent.

Cllr Suzy Horton, Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet member for education, was keen to accentuate the improved performance but stressed ‘more needs to be done’ to narrow the gap with national progress.

Cllr Horton said: ‘Whilst some improvements have been made we know we need to do more to close the gap between Portsmouth and the national average and I am confident that we are on course to achieve that.’

The Flying Bull Academy was the city’s top performing school for progress with above average scores of 1.8 and 2 in maths and writing