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Schools show big improvements at Key Stage Two

Schools show big improvements at Key Stage Two

Published 13 December 2012

Oxfordshire’s Key Stage Two results for 2012 have outstripped the national rise in achievement by two percentage points with around two thirds of primary schools posting improved results.

The county had previously been at the same level as the national average but has now surged ahead of it following this year’s acceleration in achievement levels among children coming to the end of their time at primary schools.

Today’s league tables show individual performance of schools in comparison with others elsewhere in the UK.

The rise in the county is seven per cent to 82 per cent compared to a national increase of five per cent at the gold standard Level 4+ level in English and Maths. This is also reflected in the statistical neighbours ranking where Oxfordshire is now joint second. Statistical neighbours are areas of the country/counties that are deemed to be demographically similar to Oxfordshire and therefore the most realistic for the county to be compared with.

In addition, 91 per cent of pupils in Oxfordshire made expected progress in English and 88 per cent in Maths. This is again an increase on 2011 and Oxfordshire is above national averages and top among statistical neighbours.

Oxfordshire now only has one school below the national floor standards compared to 18 in 2011. This is significantly below the national level of four per cent of schools being below floor standard. To be below the floor standard a school must have fewer than 60 per cent of pupils achieving level 4+ in English and Maths as well as progress in both subjects being below the national median.

Improvements must be maintained

Councillor Melinda Tilley, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, said: “This is marvellous news and my congratulations go to everyone who has helped deliver such a big improvement.

“While this is a move in the right direction we want to be seeing similar improvements across the age ranges in times ahead and in all parts of Oxfordshire. Purely in terms of Key Stage Two we’d want to be seeing this year’s improvement maintained along with our status above the national averages.

“This is a big step in the right direction. It needs to be a permanent step in the right direction and it needs to be one of several steps in the right direction at primary and secondary schools all across Oxfordshire. A lot of work still lies ahead for Oxfordshire’s schools.”