Key Stage Three results

New figures show that 74 per cent of 14-year-olds have reached the expected level for the end of Key Stage Three in English and maths.

 

The government's target is for 85 per cent to do so in English and maths by 2007.

 

The science pass rate was 70 per cent against a target of 80 per cent.

 

 

Government Response: DfES  

 

School standards minister Jacqui Smith said: "These results are a testament to the hard work of pupils and the professionalism of teachers.

 

"They show that real movement is being made in our ambitions for secondary schools on getting the basics right in the core subjects.

 

"The first three years of education in secondary school are hugely important. Too often in the past they were seen as the fallow years where pupils were marking time.

 

"That is why we launched the Key Stage Three national strategy to improve the quality of teaching, to set a faster pace of learning, and to make sure that children's success at primary school continues on into secondary education.

 

"In the four years since the introduction of the Key Stage Three national strategy, around 56,000 more 14-year-olds have achieved the expected level for their age in English, and around 50,000 more in mathematics.

 

"Following improvements in this year's other Key Stage tests, GCSEs and A-levels, the Key Stage 3 results confirm that pupils are reaping the benefits of our sustained national drive on standards." 

 

 

Opposition Response: Conservatives

 

Nicolas Gibb, shadow education minister, said: "Let's be brutally frank about these results. They show that 32 per cent of 14-year-olds in this country are still not reading at the expected level.

 

"This 32 per cent will have struggled in their first three years of secondary school simply because their grounding in literacy in primary school was inadequate.

 

"The government should be alarmed and taking action at what is happening in Manchester and Hull where only 50 per cent of 14-year-olds are reading at the expected level."

 

 

Opposition Response: The Liberal Democrats

 

Liberal Democrat education spokesman Edward Davey said: "It is simply unacceptable that one in eight teenage boys can't read.

 

"The shocking disparity in achievement between pupils in disadvantaged and well off areas is a matter for serious concern. I addition we must address the continued gap in success between boys and girls.  

 

"If Britain is to produce school leavers who can successfully participate in the economy we cannot afford to see this level of failure in our secondary schools."

 

 

Stakeholder Response: Association of Teachers and Lecturers

 

 

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "We congratulate teachers and students on their hard work and achievements.  However, ATL firmly believes the whole testing regime in our schools needs a thorough review.  

 

"Recent work carried out for ATL by Colin Richards, Professor of Education at St. Martin's College and former HMI, casts serious doubt on what this government really means by 'rising standards'. 

 

"We would urge all those with an interest in education to consider carefully whether the current assessment system serves the real needs of our children and young people."

 

 

Stakeholder Response: Secondary Heads Association

 

 

SHA general secretary Dr John Dunford said: "Teachers are to be congratulated on raising the achievement of 14-year-olds. 

 

"During the last three years, schools have put an enormous amount of additional effort into improving the education of 11 to 14-year-olds and this is paying off.

 

"The improvement in the teacher recruitment situation has had a positive effect on the results of 14-year-olds.

 

"When the teacher shortage was at its worst, unqualified teachers were allocated most often to lessons for 11 to 14-years-olds and so this age group was hit disproportionately hard.

 

"Today's improvement in results does not alter the SHA view that children face too many external examinations during their school careers. Assessment of 14-year-olds should be carried out by teachers against national standards. 

 

"The SHA proposals for chartered examiners offer a sensible, rigorous way in which national standards can be maintained through in-course assessment by teachers.

 

"The successful pilot of online assessment for ICT tests at Key Stage Three shows that online assessment could be used to make the testing process more efficient in other subjects too."

 

 

Stakeholder Response: NUT

 

 

Steve Sinnott, general secretary of the NUT, said: "It is time the government carried out a full scale review of the testing regime to assess how far it is meeting the needs of our children.

 

"Currently the tests provide a narrow and distorted picture of the achievements of secondary schools.

 

"Once and for all, the government should recognize that the targets it has set are unrealistic and are capable of turning success into failure.

 

"Even within the narrow constraints of this testing regime, these results show the continuing success being achieved by the hard work of teachers and pupils in our secondary schools."