Key stage 2 results show improved primary school performance

National curriculum assessment scores for 2017 have been published this week, showing 61 percent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, compared to 53 percent last year.

Breaking the results down further, it was shown that 71 percent of pupils met the expected standard in reading, compared to 66 percent last year, while in mathematics the proportion rose from 70 percent to 75 percent.

Meanwhile, 77 percent of pupils reached the targeted score in grammar, punctuation and spelling - up from 73 percent last year - with performance in writing ticking upwards from a 74 percent to a 76 percent attainment rate.

This marks the second year of results to be released following the introduction in September 2014 of a more rigorous curriculum and qualifications system. It has been designed to drive up standards in terms of young people's mastery of literacy and numeracy, and to match the achievements of the best-performing education systems elsewhere in the world.

School standards minister Nick Gibb said: "Today's results show sustained progress in reading, writing and maths and are a testament to the hard work of teachers and pupils across England.

"Thanks to their commitment and our new knowledge-rich curriculum, thousands more children will arrive at secondary school having mastered the fundamentals of reading, writing and maths, giving them the best start in life."

These results are provisional, with more comprehensive data - including breakdowns by school type and location - set to be published on August 31st, followed by revised figures towards the end of the year.