SATisfying improvements recorded throughout the borough’s schools.

Primary schools have been celebrating after receiving some of the best ever Key Stage 2 SAT’s results in Rochdale borough.

Level 4 represents the national average level of attainment and is the benchmark for measuring performance in the borough's schools. The most significant improvements have been recorded in grammar, punctuation and spelling, with 79 per cent of KS2 pupils achieving a Level 4 or above.

This marks an improvement of three per cent from the previous year and is five per cent greater than the provisional national average. 

Similar positive results have been obtained in level 4 reading (78 per cent) and writing (88 per cent), marking an improvement from the previous year by three per cent and two per cent respectively. Attainment in maths remains in line with the national average.

Councillor Donna Martin, the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at Rochdale Council, said:

 “This latest set of excellent SAT’s results marks another opportunity to praise the performance of our borough’s teachers, children and schools.”

 “Key Stage 2 examinations represent a critical juncture in the transition from primary to secondary education and  these results reflect the tremendous amount of energy and innovation our schools are putting into their lessons.”

“I would personally like to thank each individual teacher, parent, carer and pupil involved, without their commitment these results would not have been possible.”

Council Leader Richard Farnell:

“It is greatly encouraging to see such positive results emerging from our primary schools”.

“The success of our young people is integral to our vision for the borough’s future. It is exceptionally pleasing to see them reach their potential.”

In further positive news, a challenge to improve levels of attainment amongst the borough's most able pupils has been accomplished, with a significant rise in those achieving a Level 5 or above.

Provisional results have indicated that those pupils achieving a Level 5 in their grammar, punctuation and spelling assessments has increased by nine per cent from 46 to 55 per cent.  Likewise, figures for reading, writing and maths have all seen a substantial improvement with writing in particular increasing from 39 to 47 per cent.

These marked improvements bring the borough’s schools in line with the provisional national average for 2014 and above average in grammar, punctuation, spelling and reading for Level 5 and above.

Key Stage 2 exams represent the culmination of a child’s primary education, with exams being taken in English, Maths and Science during the summer term of Year 6 (10-11 years old). Introduced for 11 year olds in 1995, they are employed to assess content taught as part of the wider National Curriculum.

As of 2014, 85 per cent of the borough’s schools have been ranked as either good or outstanding by the education watchdog Ofsted.