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More primary school pupils hit their Sats targets

More primary school pupils than ever have reached national curriculum standards for English and mathematics in England, with the proportion attaining the expected level in this year's Sats tests for children aged around 11 rising by three to four percentage points.

The data is not all directly comparable, as the way written English standards are measured has changed. Nonetheless, the Department for Education's (DfE) figures show 85% of pupils reaching at least level four – the decreed level expected for their age – in English for their key stage 2 Sats tests, and 84% in maths. 80% of pupils attained both.

Key stage 2 is the Sats measure for pupils at the end of their primary education, and the data is used as one of the main performance indicators for primary schools.

Elizabeth Truss, the junior education minister, praised the results and said the government hoped to raise standards further "by giving teachers more freedom, strengthening discipline and improving teacher quality". She said: "I congratulate pupils, teachers and families on their hard work and achievements."