Education standards are improving across the board in Wolverhampton.

New figures show another year of improved outcomes for children aged between five and 11 at Early Years Foundation Stage, in Phonics and at Key Stages 1 and 2.

And they come on top of the early indications of improved performances by local students at GCSE and A level, with education chiefs praising the efforts of pupils, teachers and parents.

The latest Early Years Foundation Stage data submitted to the Department for Education suggests that 61% of 5 year olds in Wolverhampton reached a "good level of development" in personal social and emotional development, communication and language, physical development and literacy and mathematics in 2015.

This is up 4% on the previous year and early indications are that the gap between 5 year olds in Wolverhampton and their peers nationally has narrowed further as a result.

Meanwhile, 76% of Year 1 pupils are "working at or above" the required Phonics standard in 2015, up 2% year on year, with early indications suggesting they will be on a par with other 6 year olds nationally.

Year 2 pupils recorded improvements in all Key Stage 1 subjects, with 88% of pupils meeting expected reading levels in 2015, up 1% year on year, 84% achieving expected writing levels, an increase of 2% on 2014, and 89% reaching expected maths levels, on a par with last year's performance.

Early indications at Key Stage 2 are also encouraging, with 88% of pupils achieving expected reading levels in 2015, up 1% on last year, 85% meeting expected writing levels, compared to 83% in 2014, and 86% achieving expected maths levels, an increase of 1% year on year. Some 79% of pupils met expected levels in all 3 subjects in 2015, compared to 78% the previous year.

Councillor Claire Darke, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, said: "Although this is only provisional data - which should improve further when we have the validated results - it is hugely encouraging. I'm particularly pleased that our young people have managed to improve further still on last year's very impressive outcomes which were considerably up on those achieved in 2013.

"I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate our children and young people and their parents and teachers for helping to bring about what looks to be a notable increase in standards."

The improvements have comealongside improvements in school standards across the city with 76% of Wolverhampton's schools now being judged as good or better by Ofsted, compared to just 57% 2 years ago.

The Early Years and Key Stage 1 and 2 results also mirror improvements seen at other stages, with early indications suggesting pupils scored better outcomes in GCSEs this year, while post 16 results have improved for the seventh year running.

Councillor Darke said: "We're committed to helping raise education standards in our schools for our children and young people, and in the last couple of years we have launched a school improvement plan, supporting schools to better themselves and taking positive action where schools need help to turn their fortunes around.

"These figures show our efforts are paying dividend with education standards improving across the board, but we will not be resting on our laurels and will continue to do all we can to help Wolverhampton's schools achieve even better results in future."

  • released: Friday 21 August, 2015