Thousands of Hertfordshire pupils fail to reach required SATs standard

Thousands of Hertfordshire children finished primary education without attaining the government standard in their SATs.

According to figures recently released by the Department for Education, Key Stage 2 results for the 11-year-olds who took their SATs in May show that 4,647 pupils (34 per cent) did not get the required score in reading, maths and grammar.

However, pupils are also tested separately by their teachers in reading, writing, science and maths, providing a broader picture of how they are doing.

Children did far better in KS2 teacher assessments, with 85 per cent and 79 per cent meeting the standard in science and writing respectively.

A spokeswoman for campaign group More than a Score said: “The apparent discrepancy between the KS2 SAT scores and the published teacher assessments shows just how unreliable the high-stakes accountability system has become.”

She added that schools looking to climb league tables focus too much on high SATs scores, and that SATs have “failed a generation of children”.

Younger children, who can get anxious taking a test, should be assessed in a less stressful way, she said.

Overall in Hertfordshire, girls did slightly better than boys, with 70 per cent meeting the standard compared to 63 per cent of boys.

A breakdown for Hertfordshire boroughs will be published in December, a Department for Education spokesman confirmed.