Seven-year-olds' results plateau

BBC Aug 28, 2008

Key Stage 1 tests are monitored and marked by teachers

The proportion of England's seven-year-olds reaching the expected levels in reading, writing and maths has stayed constant for a second year.

Some 80% of seven-year-olds reached Level 2 in writing, 84% in reading and 90% in maths. In science, 89% reached the required standards.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families figures are based internal on assessments by teachers.

Girls still outperform boys in all areas. The widest gap is in writing.

While 86% of girls achieved Level 2 in writing, only 75% of boys attained the same standard.

There are no quick fixes but more can be done, especially for children who are really struggling with basic literacy and numeracy Kevin Brennan Children's minister

Fewer boys are achieving the expected level in speaking and listening, down to 83% from 84% last year.

And in reading 80% of boys were judged to be on track for their age group, compared with 88% of girls.

In all subjects but one the figures remained exactly the same as in 2007.

The only drop in performance came in boys' speaking and listening which fell one percentage point to 83% in 2008.

Children's minister Kevin Brennan congratulated teachers and schools but warned against complacency and said that a continued effort was needed to drive up standards further.

'Progress stalled'

He said that more should be done to ensure all children secure good levels of early literacy and numeracy so they got the best out of the later years of primary school.

"There are no quick fixes but more can be done, especially for children who are really struggling with basic literacy and numeracy, and for those children who, with a bit of help, could reach the next level up."

He said that teaching early reading through phonics was now a central feature in primary schools and that the government's Every Child a Reader programme, which gives intensive help to struggling readers, was having an incredible impact.

"A similar programme for children having problems with basic maths begins this September and we have accepted Sir Peter Williams' recommendation that there should be a maths specialist in every school," he added.

He added that new statutory guidelines for nurseries and childminders would give "younger children a head start by providing good quality play-based early learning".

Liberal Democrat children, schools and families spokesman David Laws said: "It is shameful that more than one in five boys still don't have a good grasp of the most basic reading and writing skills at the age of seven.

“Progress in tackling the problem of poor literacy and numeracy amongst our youngest children has stalled."

Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said it was vital that children got the basics early in primary school but the results for seven-year-olds were flatlining.

"With one in six children still not reaching the expected level of reading, it is difficult for them to progress in the next few years of primary school. Without learning to read, they will never be able to read to learn," he saidf.