Schools score top marks (From Witney Gazette)

Schools score top marks

2:46pm Monday 11th December 2006 in Witney By Emma-Kate Lidbury

CHRISTMAS has come early for some West Oxfordshire and other county primary schools, as league tables out last week show them scoring top marks in national tests.

The county's pass rate in the Key Stage Two tests, which are taken by all 11-year-olds, has improved again, and pupils are performing better than the national average in English and science.

The Government expects pupils to achieve level four in the tests, but this year sees the number of Oxfordshire pupils reaching level five also exceed the national average.

Councillor Michael Waine, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for school improvement, said: "These results reflect the hard work and commitment of pupils and teaching staff in our schools. There are some great individual successes, and it is good to see that overall Oxfordshire primary schools are performing above the national picture at the top level. All schools should be congratulated on their continuing efforts to raise standards. We have a good base on which to build further."

A number of Oxfordshire schools achieved 100 per cent in English, maths, and science at level four, the standard the Government expects pupils to reach. Some schools that have performed well do not appear in the tables because the size of the classes entering the tests are too small.

Combe Primary School - which last year achieved the best results nationwide - and Stonesfield achieved high pass rates at the top level. These schools, together with Great Tew, also achieved a 100 per cent pass rate at level four.

In maths, 76 per cent of pupils achieved level four, an increase of almost two per cent on last year, which matches the national average.

In English, 80 per cent achieved the expected standard, equalling last year's results, while in science, 88 per cent of pupils hit the level four mark, an increase of one per cent on last year and one per cent better than the national average.

Pass rates at level five, the highest level, show 35 per cent of Oxfordshire pupils achieved it in English compared with 32 per cent nationally.

In maths, 34 per cent of the county's pupils achieved level five compared with 33 per cent nationally and in science, 47 per cent achieved the higher level compared with the 46 per cent national average.