NC asessments at KS2 in England 2010/11 (revised)

Recently updated: 12 January 2012

Statistics: Reference ID: SFR31/2011; Publication type: Statistical First Release; Publication data: Local Authority data, Prerelease access data; Local Authority data: LA data; Region: England; Release date: 15 December 2011; Coverage status: Final; Publication status: Published

The latest national statistics on NC asessments at KS2 in England 2010/11 (revised) produced by the Department for Education were released on 15 December 2011 according to the arrangements approved by the UK Statistics Authority.

This Statistical First Release (SFR) provides revised 2011 Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Assessment results for pupils (typically aged 11) in schools in England at national and local authority level. Information on attainment has also been broken down by different pupil characteristics, specifically gender, ethnicity, English as a first language, free school meal eligibility, special educational need and Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index. This SFR also provides the updated percentage of pupils making expected progress in each of English and mathematics between Key Stage 1 (KS1) (typically age 7) and Key Stage 2 (KS2).

Two former SFRs, "National Curriculum Assessments at Key Stage 2" and "Key Stage 2 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics" have been combined to produce this SFR, enabling a more comprehensive and coherent evaluation of pupils' achievements at Key Stage 2 to be presented.

The revised figures are based on data used in the Primary School (Key Stage 2) Performance Tables. The figures contained within this publication combine this revised data with the information gathered through the School Census in January 2011. Figures in this SFR update provisional figures released in August in SFR18/2011. This SFR also provides the 2010/11 update to the characteristics SFR35/2010.

National Curriculum tests are 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 Key Stage 2 (age 11), pupils are expected to achieve Level 4.

All gaps and differences have been calculated on unrounded data therefore some figures may not add up in the following text.

All schools

The percentages of pupils achieving the expected level, Level 4 or above, in the 2011 Key Stage 2 tests by subject are as follows:

English 82 per cent (up 2 percentage points from 80 per cent in 2010)
reading 84 per cent (up 1 percentage point from 83 per cent in 2010)
writing 75 per cent (up 4 percentage points from 71 per cent in 2010)
mathematics 80 per cent (up 1 percentage point from 79 per cent in 2010)
both English and mathematics 74 per cent (up 1 percentage point from 73 per cent in 2010).

The percentages of pupils achieving above the expected level, Level 5 or above, in the 2011 Key Stage 2 tests by subject are as follows:

English 29 per cent (down 3 percentage points from 33 per cent in 2010)
reading 43 per cent (down 8 percentage points from 50 per cent in 2010)
writing 20 per cent (down 1 percentage point from 21 per cent in 2010)
mathematics 35 per cent (up 1 percentage point from 34 per cent in 2010).

The percentages of pupils achieving Level 4 or above in the 2011 Key Stage 2 Teacher Assessments by subject are as follows:

English 81 per cent (no change from 2010)
mathematics 82 per cent (no change from 2010)
science 85 per cent (no change from 2010).

Maintained mainstream schools

Pupils are expected to make two levels of progress between Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. The national percentages of pupils making the expected progress by subject are as follows:

English 85 per cent
mathematics 83 per cent.

The median average percentage of pupils making two levels of progress of all maintained mainstream schools is used as part of the current KS2 floor standard. This school level median by subject is as follows:

English 87 per cent
mathematics 86 per cent.

Maintained schools - Pupil characteristics

A higher percentage of pupils of Chinese, Indian, Irish and mixed White and Asian origin reached the expected level in both English and mathematics than their peers.

70 per cent of pupils for whom English is not their first language achieved the expected level in both English and mathematics. For pupils whose first language is English, the percentage was 75 per cent.

58 per cent of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM) achieved the expected level in both English and mathematics compared with 78 per cent of all other pupils (pupils known not to be eligible for FSM and pupils with unknown eligibility grouped together).

The percentage of pupils with special educational needs (SEN) without a statement who reached the expected level in both English and mathematics increased by 1 percentage point from 37 per cent in 2010 to 38 per cent in 2011. The percentage of pupils with a statement who achieved the expected level in both English and mathematics has increased from 13 per cent in 2010 to 15 per cent in 2011.

Pupils resident in the least deprived areas, as defined by the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) continue to outperform pupils resident in the most deprived areas, in terms of percentages achieving the expected level.

Local Authority achievement

The percentages of pupils achieving Level 4 or above at Key Stage 2 in each Local Authority (excluding the City of London and Isles of Scilly Local Authorities which only have 1 school each) range from: