East Lancashire schools below national average but improving

2:37pm Thursday 28th August 2008

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NATIONAL Curriculum test results show that East Lancashire’s seven-year-olds continue to fluctuate in their progress.

Provisional Key Stage 1 results published by the Department of Children, Schools and Families today show that youngsters in Blackburn and Darwen primary schools are making steady progress in the core subjects – English, maths and science – on last year.

But they they are still behind Lancashire, which includes schools in Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale.

However Lancashire has seen a slight dip in almost all categories, meaning that both boroughs are below the national average in almost all areas.

The figures show that more Blackburn and Darwen seven-year-olds are achieving level 2 – regarded by the Government as the basic level needed for children to leave primary schools with a solid foundation in literacy and numeracy skills – and also in higher levels 2B and 3.

This is an improvement on last year when numbers dropped slightly for level 2.

Blackburn with Darwen councillor Chris Thayne, executive member for children's services, said: "These results are a credit to our children and their teachers.

"Such positive results show that we have a solid foundation on which to build success for young people in Blackburn with Darwen. If we can provide a sure start for all our young people we can have confidence in closing the gap that has been a feature of vulnerable groups in later years."

In a reversal of fortune, Lancashire has seen a fall of one percentage point in pupils achieving level 2 in reading, maths and science, and a similar drop in the proportion of youngsters attaining the higher levels.

This places Lancashire just below the national averages, apart from in the number of pupils getting level 3 in science – 23 per cent to the national average of 22 per cent.

Across the country, standards have largely remained constant, with 90 per cent of children achieving level 2 or higher in maths and 80 per cent in writing – the same as last year – 84 per cent in reading, and 89 per cent in science.

There has been a drop in all areas in the number of youngsters getting the higher level 3, and girls continue to outperform boys at every level which is also seen in East Lancashire.