Bucks ranks high in primary league table

EDUCATION bosses celebrated another great performance by primary schools in Bucks, with the county ranked one of the top 20 local authorities in England.

The league tables, published by the Department for Education and Employment this week, showed 11-year-olds scored well above the national average in Key Stage 2 tests last May.

Nearly 73 per cent of children reached the expected standard in English, 63 per cent in maths and 73 per cent in science. The average for the rest of the country in those subjects was 64, 57 and 68 per cent.

Bucks education chairman Mike Appleyard was delighted with the results: "They are a tribute to the hard work and professionalism of our teachers and the commitment of pupils and parents to achieving good results.

"While some of our schools have performed very well, we recognise that some schools need extra support in areas of greatest need. The plan has been produced with the close co-operation of headteachers and governors and there is a real determination to build on our success and learn from examples of good practice."

Ickford County Combined School, in Sheldon Road, Ickford, was the best performing school in Bucks.

Headteacher Peter Bozier said this was down to having "no children with special educational needs and no one being away on the day of the test. We have worked on improving our standards and it has paid off."

Their success was closely followed by Little Chalfont County Combined School, in Amersham, and St John's Church of England Combined School, in Main Road, Lacey Green, which achieved outstanding results in English and science.

Caroline Lewis, headteacher at Little Chalfont, welcomed the results but said there was no room for complacency.

"We want all our children to achieve average or above average results."

The Government planned to bring the results out before Christmas but its plans were hampered by a computer failure.

Steve Coleman, headteacher at St John's C of E School, in Princes Risborough, criticised the Government's literacy and numeracy targets, believing they were too high for low performing schools.

Grant Woodruss, chairman of governors at Naphill and Walters Ash Combined School, said targets are too low.

He said the national target for maths should be raised from 75 per cent to 80 per cent, the same as English: "Schools will be able to meet these national targets if the Government provided the money to help them to do so."

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