[C]umbrian primary school pupils have performed well in this year’s Key Stage 2 SATS, figures published by the Department for Education show.
In relation to the main measure of the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level in reading, writing and maths combined, 61.0% achieved this key benchmark in Cumbria, comparing favourably with the national figure. The results represent a significant 10% improvement in the county over last year, compared to an 8% increase nationally.
Cllr Sue Sanderson, Cabinet Member for Schools and Learning, said: “These are a great set of results for Cumbria and I think it’s vitally important to recognise the hard work and achievements of our young pupils and also the support and guidance provided by teachers and families. We also need to acknowledge the drive and commitment of our school leaders in adapting to the changes in assessment and curriculum expectations – it has not been easy.”
The attainment of pupils in reading in Cumbria by the end of KS2 exceeded that of pupils nationally; this has also been the case for the last two years. Writing results have also improved substantially over the year, increasing by 7% compared with a national increase of just 2%. Maths test results were slightly lower in Cumbria than those nationally, however results have improved at a greater rate than the increase nationally. The council will be undertaking further analysis and reviewing our action plan to ensure continued improvement.
This year’s results also show positive improvement in the attainment of disadvantaged pupils, with the percentage of pupils achieving the expected level increasingly significantly in all subjects over the last year. On the combined measure of reading, writing and maths, the disadvantaged pupils achieving the benchmark increased by 14%. The rate of increase in Cumbria was greater than the national rate of increase in all nationally assessed measures. This means that disadvantaged pupils in Cumbria now outperform their national peers in all subjects.
Cllr Sue Sanderson, continued: “I’m particularly pleased to see such significant improvement in the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. Education is a critical component to overcoming disadvantage and helping young people achieve the best they possibly can. This has been a specific focus of work through the Cumbria Alliance of System Leaders, Local Alliances and school clusters so it’s great to see that having an impact.”
The council will be undertaking more detailed analysis of performance as results become fully validated and will continue to work in partnership within a system approach to further improve provision and outcomes for the children and young people in Cumbria to ensure that they love learning and have the best possible opportunities.
