Sats results rise on last year but stay below pre-pandemic levels
The Key Stage 2 results showed 62% of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined this summer, up from 61% last year.
In 2019, 65% of pupils met the standard, according to the provisional Department for Education (DfE) data.
In individual subjects, scores were higher than last year.
In total, 75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, up from 74% in 2024.
In writing, 72% of pupils met the expected standard, an increase of 0.5 percentage points on last year.
In grammar, punctuation and spelling, 73% of pupils met the expected standard, up from 72%.
Overall, 82% of pupils met the expected standard in science, up from 81%, and 74% met the expected standard in maths, up from 73%.
The DfE said these pupils experienced disruption to their learning during the pandemic, particularly at the end of Year 1 and in Year 2.
Attainment in all subjects, other than reading, has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, it added.
The figure come after education unions have raised concerns about the statutory tests in primary schools as they fear they are too 'high-pressure'.
Currently, pupils in England sit Sats in the summer of Year 6 and these results are often used in holding primary schools to account.
Children also take a phonics check in Year 1 and a times table check in Year 4.
The interim report of the independent curriculum and assessment review, published in March, concluded that formal assessments are an 'important part' of primary school education.
But it said the review will examine how the assessment of writing in Year 6 'can be improved', and it will review concerns about the grammar, punctuation and spelling assessment.
The final report of the review, chaired by education expert Professor Becky Francis, is due to be published in the autumn.
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