19
September
2013
|
13:48
Europe/London

Huge reading progress leap for KS2 children

They have also bucked a national trend, which saw a two per cent drop in expected progress levels in reading to 88 per cent.

The local 11-year-olds who took the tests were also ranked joint first compared to other children in the ten other statistical neighbouring authorities for numbers making expected progress in maths, with 89 per cent achieving the mark, a percentage point higher than 2012.

This year students were measured in reading, writing and maths, when previously the performance measures were English and maths.

Oxfordshire was also joint second for expected improvement in writing with 93 per cent obtaining the level, one per cent more than the previous year.

Performing better than the national average

The countywide results for the Key Stage Two measures show Oxfordshire's pupils performed well in amounts of students achieving Level 4+ in reading, writing and maths, with 77 per cent doing so. That figure is two per cent more than the national average of state-maintained schools and academies and the same amount locally as in 2012.

"Hugely impressed"

Councillor Melinda Tilley, Oxfordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families, said: "I am hugely impressed at the increases in numbers of students making the expected progress from Key Stage One to Key Stage Two, and particularly in the five percentage point increase for reading.

"I would like to congratulate children for their hard work and I would encourage them to keep going and to really fulfil their potential.

"It is also encouraging that Oxfordshire is either joint first or joint second for expected progress in reading, writing and maths when compared to our statistical neighbours."

Strive for even better results

Councillor Tilley added: "Overall children in state-maintained schools or academies locally have also performed better than the national average for those achieving Level 4 or above in reading, writing and maths, and while that is pleasing, we will continue to strive for even better results in the coming years.

"There is still a lot of hard work ahead and I am sure that this effort will be put in to ensure that progress and results can improve even more in the future."

School-by-school results are expected to be made public in December.

Statistical neighbours are areas of the country/counties that are deemed to be demographically similar to Oxfordshire and therefore the most realistic for the county to be compared with.

Oxfordshire's statistical neighbours are Bath and North Somerset; Bracknell Forest; Buckinghamshire; Cambridgeshire; Gloucestershire; Hampshire; Hertfordshire; Surrey; West Berkshire and Wiltshire.

Progress Measure

 

% making expected progress KS1-KS2 (2 levels)

Reading

Writing

Maths

2012

2013

2012

2013

2012

2013

Oxfordshire

85

90

92

93

88

89

National

90

88

90

91

87

88

Statistical Neighbour Average

88

88

90

91

86

87

Oxon ranking within its ten other statistical neighbours

Sixth

Joint first

First

Joint second

Joint first

Joint first

 

Oxfordshire Reading Campaign

The county council launched last year its Oxfordshire Reading Campaign to help raise attainment in seven-year-olds at Key Stage One, and to foster a lifelong love for reading for children.

A report found that the scheme had resulted in an improvement by nearly two years in some participating pupils' reading ages.

Councillor Tilley said: "We launched last year our Reading Campaign, which was aimed at younger children, and it may well be that that has encouraged Key Stage Two-aged children in schools to pick up a book and enjoy all the benefits that reading can bring.

"We are also planning an initiative in schools to improve attainment in maths, similar in style to our successful Reading Campaign.

"The Schools Forum will consider our idea in the near future and I hope that they are receptive to the proposal."