A COOKLEY primary school has been ranked the highest achieving Key Stage 2 school in Worcestershire, after performance figures show the county has been ranked as one of the lowest attaining local authorities in the country.

The figures show 76 per cent of Key Stage 2 pupils in Worcestershire, including schools in Wyre Forest, achieved level four or above in reading, writing and maths – the standard expected of 11-year-olds.

The national average is 80 per cent.

Last year, the Government changed minimum requirements so schools are considered to be underperforming if less than 65 per cent of pupils achieved at least level four or above in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2.

Among the schools to enjoy good results was Cookley Sebright Primary School where 100 per cent of the 26 pupils tested achieved the standard. The school was also ranked highest achieving in Worcestershire.

Abberley Parochial VC Primary School, Upper Arley CE Primary School and Wilden All Saints Primary School also achieved 100 per cent.

However, in Wyre Forest, four out of 32 primaries did not meet the floor standard, including St Bartholomews CE Primary School, in Stourport, where the number achieving level four in reading, writing and maths was just 40 per cent.

Pupils at St Mary’s CE Primary School, Blakedown CE Primary School and Franche Community Primary School fell into the same category.

Worcestershire was joint seventh from the bottom with Norfolk, Bradford and Walsall.

Councillor John Campion, Worcestershire County Council cabinet member for children and families, said: “We are pleased that the vast majority of Key Stage 2 pupils have achieved a great set of results and that reading results have increased compared to last year.

“We are continuing to work closely with our schools to provide appropriate support to enable improvements to be made.

“As a county, our schools perform higher than the national average at Key Stage 4 and we are confident that we will rise to mirror this with Key Stage 2 so that pupils receive the education they deserve.”