Pledge to improve Key Stage 2 standards
Cathy Wallace
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Children's Secretary Ed Balls has pledged more support to primary schools to drive up standards at Key Stage 2.
One in five 11-year-olds do not meet the expected level in literacy and numeracy at Key Stage 2.
Balls has pledged £169m to provide one-to-one tuition to children in danger of falling behind in English and maths and extend programmes such as Every Child a Reader and Every Child a Writer.
In total about 23,500 children will be covered by the programmes and Balls said this would rise to more than 100,000 by 2011.
In a letter to primary school heads, Balls said: "We cannot sit back and accept we can do no more to stop children falling behind year after year.
"We are going to have to make a leap forward over the next decade if we are to achieve the world-class education system I want to see."
The Children's Plan set a target of 90 per cent of children achieving the expected levels of English and maths at age 11.
Balls has pledged £169m to provide one-to-one tuition to children in danger of falling behind in English and maths and extend programmes such as Every Child a Reader and Every Child a Writer.
In total about 23,500 children will be covered by the programmes and Balls said this would rise to more than 100,000 by 2011.
In a letter to primary school heads, Balls said: "We cannot sit back and accept we can do no more to stop children falling behind year after year.
"We are going to have to make a leap forward over the next decade if we are to achieve the world-class education system I want to see."
The Children's Plan set a target of 90 per cent of children achieving the expected levels of English and maths at age 11.
