The latest national statistics on National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 1 in England produced by the Department for Education were released on 29 September 2011 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.
This Statistical First Release (SFR) provides provisional information on the achievements of eligible pupils in the 2011 National Curriculum teacher assessments at Key Stage 1 (KS1) by level, gender, ethnicity, English as an additional language, free school meal eligibility, special educational need and the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index.
Two SFRs "National Curriculum assessments at Key Stage 1" and "Key Stage 1 attainment by pupil characteristics" have been combined to produce this SFR, enabling a more comprehensive and coherent evaluation of pupils’ achievements at Key Stage 1 to be presented.
The figures contained within this publication combine the information gathered through the School Census in January 2011 and the 2011 National Curriculum teacher assessments at Key Stage 1 (provided by schools and local authorities to the Department and produced from data available by 8 August 2011). This release provides information at national and local authority level.
National Curriculum assessment provides a measurement of achievement against the precise attainment targets of the National Curriculum rather than any generalised concept of ability in any of the subject areas. The National Curriculum standards have been designed so that most pupils will progress by approximately one level every two years. This means that by the end of KS1 pupils are expected to achieve Level 2.
The key points from the latest release are:
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At Level 2 or above (the expected level):
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The percentages of pupils achieving the expected level in 2011 are:
- 85 per cent in reading
- 81 per cent in writing
- 87 per cent in speaking and listening
- 90 per cent in mathematics
- 89 per cent in science.
- Compared to the equivalent final 2010 figures, the overall percentage achieving Level 2 or above has increased by 1 percentage point in mathematics and has remained the same in the four other subjects.
- In all subjects a higher proportion of girls than boys reached the expected level.
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The percentages of pupils achieving the expected level in 2011 are:
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At Level 3 or above:
- Compared to the equivalent final 2010 figures, the overall percentages achieving Level 3 or above have increased by 1 percentage point in writing, decreased by 1 percentage point in science and remained the same in reading, speaking and listening and mathematics.
- A higher proportion of girls than boys achieved Level 3 or above in speaking and listening, reading and writing, whilst a higher proportion of boys than girls achieved Level 3 or above in mathematics and science.
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In maintained schools, a breakdown by pupil characteristics shows:
- Pupils of Indian origin had the highest percentage achieving the expected level in all subjects with the exception of science where Irish pupils performed the highest.
- A higher percentage of pupils whose first language is English achieved the expected level in reading, writing, mathematics and science when compared to pupils for whom English is not their first language.
- Pupils known to be eligible for FSM continue to perform lower than all other pupils in reading, writing, mathematics and science. The gap is largest in reading and writing.
- Pupils with no identified SEN continue to outperform pupils with SEN. The gap is largest in writing.
Tables showing a breakdown of attainment by pupil characteristics at local authority level and area of pupil residence will be added on 13 October.
Contact details
Emma Sass - Attainment Statistics Team
Telephone: 0207 340 8357
Email: attainment.statistics@education.gsi.gov.uk
