Academy primaries achieve better SATs outcomes

This year’s Key Stage 2 National Curriculum Assessments – commonly referred to as SATs – show that schools that have academy status have had particular success in improving outcomes for pupils, with results improving the longer a school has been an academy.

The figures showed that academies that have been open for the longest have the highest results. At converter academies open for one year, 65 per cent of pupils reach the expected standards in reading, writing and maths; this figure rises to 71 per cent in converter academies open for seven years.
   
At sponsored academies that typically converted because of poor performance, those that have had academy status for one year saw 53 per cent of pupils meet the expected standards in reading, writing and maths, rising to 62 per cent after seven years.

The gender gap between boys and girls has remained stable, with girls outperforming boys by eight per cent. London is the best performing region with Richmond Upon Thames the best performing local authority in the country, followed by Trafford.

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said: “Today’s results show how well schools have adapted to the higher expectations and greater challenge of the new primary curriculum. In the first SATs that tested pupils’ achievements in 2016, just 66% reached the expected standard in reading. Today that figure is 75%.”