Provisional SATs results show small improvement

But critics have called for the tests to be scrapped, especially in the wake of this year's marking debacle.

Knight announced that the number of primary school pupils reaching the expected level for their age at Key Stage 2 in English has improved by one percentage point to 21 per cent.

In maths the figure rose by one percentage point to 78 per cent and in science it remained at 88 per cent - the same as last year.

Combined, the figures show an overall increase of one percentage point - which means 61 per cent of children now reach the expected levels for their age.

Knight said: "Over the last decade, there has been sustained improvement at Key Stage 2. There is still more to be done before our education system is truly world class and, while I am pleased there continues to be steady improvement overall, more needs to be done to improve personalised learning to ensure all children fulfil their potential at this crucial stage."

Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "We continue to campaign for the replacement of tests with teacher assessment, which can provide a better picture of a young person's learning while reducing the relentless pressure of testing on students."