MK Primary Schools Go for Gold

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 15th Sep 2004

Minister congratulates MK primary schools on record-breaking results.

Recently announced results for tests taken by children at ages 7 and 11 show that schools in Milton Keynes have made record progress.

At Key Stage 1, results for seven-year-olds in reading, writing and mathematics are the best ever with improvements from 2003 being much higher than national rates of improvement. Improvements in mathematics across Milton Keynes schools are particularly high.

Standards in writing and mathematics have now overtaken national figures and local performance in reading matches that nationally.

Results at Key Stage 2 for eleven-year-olds have also broken all previous records, so much so that David Miliband, the Minister of State for School Standards, has written to the Council with congratulations on the excellent Key Stage 2 results this year. Mr Miliband wrote "Milton Keynes is one of the authorities which has sustained the most consistent improvements in both English and mathematics since 2001".

Milton Keynes is now the fourth most improved local authority from 150 authorities across England from 2001 to 2004. In fact, if improvements in science are also included, then Milton Keynes becomes the second most improved authority in England.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Sandra Clark - Cabinet member for Education, Early Years and Libraries said: "These results are a great credit to head teachers, school staff and governors who work to develop the skills and attitudes of our young children and provide the best possible learning opportunities. They bode very well for ongoing improvements through the years of primary education and demonstrate the impact of the Council's investment in primary education and the early years.

"We welcome the congratulations from David Miliband and the recognition that Milton Keynes Council staff are working effectively with schools to support these improvements in standards. We are targeting further improvements in standards with schools through the school re-organisation programme, investment in school accommodation and further developments in our early years provision."