Youngsters lagging behind in school
One in six children is effectively going backwards at primary school, figures revealed recently
London: One in six children is effectively going backwards at primary school, figures revealed recently.
Almost 100,000 youngsters achieved worse results in the three Rs at age 11 than in comparable tests at seven.
The figures suggest many are left "coasting" in primary schools. Boys are more likely to fall behind in English and girls in maths.
More pupils than last year are making the progress expected of their age, according to statistics from the Department for Education. But ministers said it was a "very real concern" that one in six failed to make the expected progress in the basics between the ages of seven and 11.
They said six-year-olds would sit a short reading test to identify problems earlier under Coalition plans to boost English standards.
Fundamentals
Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "Thousands of children are condemned to struggle at secondary school and beyond unless they get the fundamentals of reading, writing and maths right at an early age."
The latest figures chart the progress made by pupils after sitting SATs in English and maths at age seven. Youngsters who achieve level two at age seven are considered to have made satisfactory progress at primary school if they reach level four at 11. The figures show 16 per cent failed to make the expected progress in English and 17 per cent in maths. This was an improvement on last year's 18 per cent in English and 19 per cent in maths. But nearly 100,000 still fail to fulfil the potential they showed at seven.
Nearly 600,000 youngsters usually take SATs but this year only 385,000 did because of a teachers union boycott. In English, 18 per cent of boys failed to progress as expected, against 14 per cent of girls.
