The first assessments since the pandemic show a drop in pupils reaching the expected level in reading, writing and maths by the end of primary school.
Across England, attainment increased slightly in reading and fell in all other subjects compared to 2019 at both the expected and higher standard. Across the combined measure, attainment also decreased compared to 2019 at both the expected and higher standard.
Figures from the Department for Education show 74% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, up from 73% in 2019. As well as this 28% of pupils reached the higher standard in reading, up from 27% in 2019.
For maths, 71% of pupils met the expected standard down from 79% in 2019, and 22% of pupils reached the higher standard in maths, down from 27% in 2019. As well as this, 69% of pupils met the expected standard in writing, down from 78% in 2019, while 13% of pupils reached the higher standard in writing, down from 20% in 2019.
The Department for Education considers meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths to be key for success in secondary school and beyond. Overall, 59% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, down from 65% in 2019, while 7% of pupils met the higher standard in reading, writing and maths, down from 11%.
Biggest drops in pupils reaching expected standard
Hackney was the only local authority in England to see the proportion of pupils hitting the expected standard rise. It went up from 66% in 2019 to 68% in 2022.
When it was launched in February, the Government set an aim in its Levelling Up plan that, by 2030, the number of primary school children achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths will have significantly increased. In England, that would mean 90% of children will achieve the expected standard, and the percentage of children meeting the expected standard in the worst performing areas will have increased by over a third.
Areas where pupils were most likely to hit the expected standard
Areas where pupils were least likely to hit the expected standard
The figures also show that while attainment has fallen for most groups of pupils, it has increased more for some than others. The disadvantage gap index - which measures the gap between disadvantaged pupils and others - has increased from 2.91 in 2019 to 3.21 in 2022.
The disadvantage gap index reduced between 2011 and 2018, before remaining at a similar level between 2018 and 2019. The index has increased in 2022 to the highest level since 2012, suggesting that disruption to learning during the Covid-19 pandemic has had a greater impact on disadvantaged pupils.
Attainment has fallen compared to 2019 for both disadvantaged pupils and other pupils at the expected and higher standards in all subjects except for reading. However, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils has fallen further than for other pupils, increasing the disadvantage attainment gap.
Attainment fell among both girls and boys in all subjects except reading, however the fall was slightly larger for girls. Girls continue to outperform boys in all subjects except maths.
As well as this, attainment fell among pupils with English as their first language and pupils with a first language other than English in all subjects except reading, however the fall was larger for pupils with English as a first language.
