Latest primary school league tables published

Just a minority of primary schools in England and Wales are managing to fully reach government targets for maths and English, the latest league tables show.

According to the new official figures, pupils at just 329 out of the 14,768 schools analysed were found to be working at the expected levels for maths, English and science.

Meanwhile, the majority of pupils at nearly 800 primaries schools in England were found to be without the basic literacy and numeracy skills, with fewer than half of the 11-year-old children attending these institutions reaching the expected standards for their age.

However, schools minister Sarah McCarthy-Fry has pointed out that progress is being made.

"In 1997, almost half of children left primary school having failed to reach the expected level in both English and maths," she commented.

"We now see three quarters of children leaving primary school having reached the expected level in both subjects."

Both parents and applicants for teaching jobs have been advised to not set too much store by the tables given the recent mix-ups in SAT marking.

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