Key stage 2 attainment improves but remains below pre-pandemic levels
In individual subjects, 75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, up from 74% in 2024
The proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in key stage 2 reading, writing and maths assessments rose to 62% in 2025, up from 61% the previous year.
The latest national curriculum statistics, published by the Department for Education, cover tests taken in summer 2025 by year 6 pupils in England, most of whom are aged 11. The cohort experienced disruption to their learning during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in years 1 and 2.
Despite the year-on-year improvement, attainment in all subjects except reading remains below pre-pandemic levels.
In individual subjects, 75% of pupils met the expected standard in reading, up from 74% in 2024. In maths, the figure rose to 74%, up from 73%, and in writing it increased to 72%, a 0.5 percentage point rise on the previous year. Attainment in grammar, punctuation and spelling rose to 73%, and in science to 82%.
There were no national assessments in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
Responding to this morning’s Key Stage 2 Sats figures, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Pupils, teachers and school leaders have worked incredibly hard throughout the year and deserve enormous credit for their achievements.
“However, it is time to change this system of statutory assessment which is of little benefit to teachers or children. School leaders have told us loud and clear that Sats do very little to inform future teaching and learning, support children’s progress, or help their transition to secondary school. They tell teachers nothing they don’t already know from working day in and day out with pupils.”
He added: “These tests are instead used as an accountability tool to judge and compare school performance – and not even a reliable one at that. They are given disproportionate significance and heap pressure onto pupils and staff, causing unnecessary stress and in some cases harming their wellbeing.
“We were disappointed that the interim curriculum and assessment review report did not support scaling back statutory tests for children. Reducing the negative impact, cost, time and resources required for phonics, the multiplication check and the grammar, punctuation and spelling tests would not reduce standards, and we urge the review team to think again ahead of the publication of its final report.”