Two-fifths of primary pupils fail to meet SATs standard
Almost 40 per cent of primary school pupils in England have not met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.
The results are from the national curriculum tests - SATs - which were taken by 11-year-olds earlier this term.
According to the BBC, 61 per cent met the expected levels in the “three Rs”, an improvement on last year’s 53 per cent.
The data also shows that 71 per cent of pupils met the expected standard in reading compared with 66 per cent last year.
Seventy-five per cent met the expected standard in maths compared with 70 per cent in 2016; 77 per cent of pupils met the standard in grammar, punctuation and spelling, compared with 73 per cent last year; and 76 per cent of pupils met the standard in writing compared with 74 per cent last year.
This year's cohort was the second to sit new tougher tests in line with a new national curriculum introduced in 2014.
Read moreLatest News
23/04/2026 - 10:13
A survey of 1,105 teachers reveals many senior leaders reporting cuts to teaching assistants (71%), support staff (49%) and teaching staff (30%).
23/04/2026 - 09:30
A report from the Digital Poverty Alliance show that while digital tools are now embedded across school routines, access and usability remain deeply uneven.
22/04/2026 - 09:28
School food improvement programme Nourish is set to launch in Cumberland in 2026, working with schools to improve the quality and culture of food throughout the school day
21/04/2026 - 07:18
The government has announced a series of new measures aimed at strengthening freedom of speech and academic freedom across universities
20/04/2026 - 11:50
A creative careers programme which aims to inspire young people to explore careers across the creative industries has reached 210,000 young people since 2023.
