EEF - Sir Kevan Collins comments on today's primary school results

“It is fantastic that more and more children are leaving primary school with the skills they need to get on in secondary school and beyond. It is a clear sign that the hard work put in by primary schools up and down the country has paid off. Every extra pupil meeting the expected standard should be celebrated. However the slow progress in tackling the attainment gap between poorer pupils and their classmates tells us there is still a lot more to do.

“We know the attainment gap is not inevitable – in one in 10 schools disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes exceed the national average for all pupils – so all primary schools can make important headway in boosting outcomes for the poorest students. Better use of evidence is key to all of this: looking at what has – and has not – worked in the past gives us the best chance of success in the future.”