Southampton's improving primary schools are closing the gap

Primary school pupils across Southampton and their teachers are celebrating today after the provisional Key Stage 2 (KS2) test results were published, with Southampton primary schools showing a significant improvement over last year.

The percentage of pupils achieving the expected level (Level 4) in both English and maths at KS2 rose 6 percentage points to 70% - the biggest improvement against this measure seen in Southampton since its introduction two years ago, the largest leap in five years and significantly more than the equivalent increase nationally of 2%.

In addition to this the number of schools below the national floor target of 55 % has reduced from 12 in 2008 to five in 2010. Two of the five are also very close to the boundary, at 54%, so this figure could be reduced to only three schools below the floor target once the data is validated later this year.

It will be harder than usual to draw comparisons with national figures and similar authorities - Southampton's ‘statistical neighbours' - after it was announced last month that over 4000 schools in the UK boycotted the tests this year, that amounts to 26% of schools delivering the KS2 tests.

The performance of the city's schools is all the more impressive given the high level of participation in the tests. In a year when nationally only 73% of papers were submitted over 90% of Southampton schools took part. Only three schools in the city boycotted the tests.

Councillor Paul Holmes, Southampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Children's Services, commented:

"This year's KS2 results are good news for our young people, our schools and for the city as a whole, demonstrating that the hard work that has been going on in our schools in the last year is bearing fruit. I'd like to thank our teachers for their fantastic effort and commitment and congratulate our young people on their achievements.

We remain confident that our plans will continue to deliver improvements across the board and deliver the best possible education for children in Southampton.

Partnerships are now well established, enabling schools to share best practices with those that are achieving excellent results; our National Leaders in Education are delivering first class leadership and - alongside high quality teaching - are having a real impact.

However, there's no room for complacency and there is still work to be done to improve our results. We will continue to work with schools to drive up standards even further."

Clive Webster, Executive Director of Children's Services and Learning, said:

"These figures show that Southampton schools really are closing the gap and I send my congratulations to Headteachers, their staff and of course to the young people who have worked so hard.

This year we've seen improvements in attainment across the city, including areas that have faced challenges in the past. This is a credit to the dedication of all our staff and to the strong leadership and collaborative approach adopted by our Headteachers.

We are absolutely determined that all young people in the city should receive the best possible education available and that Southampton is increasingly seen as a place where parents want their children to be educated. I believe we are making good progress towards these ambitions."

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