Provisional 2025 Key Stage 2 data reveals slight improvements in pupil attainment across England, yet significant regional inequalities remain, highlighting ongoing challenges in educational equity.
Provisional data released for the 2025 Key Stage 2 (KS2) assessments in England reveals a slight overall improvement in primary school pupils’ attainment in core skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics. Nationally, 62% of pupils reached the expected standard in these subjects, up from 61% the previous year. These assessments, commonly known as SATs, mark the end of primary education and aim to measure whether children have developed the foundational skills needed for secondary school. However, despite this progress, stark regional disparities in achievement persist.
The 2025 KS2 results highlight that while London continues to lead with an average attainment rate of 68%, the South West remains the lowest-performing region, averaging 59%. The gap between the highest and lowest regional averages has narrowed slightly since 2024, shrinking from 10 to 9 percentage points. This improvement is due to a slight dip in London’s results alongside modest gains in the South West. Other regions such as Yorkshire and the Humber, the North East, and the North West hover around 60-61%, demonstrating relatively consistent but still varied outcomes.
Drilling down into local authority areas reveals even wider disparities. For example, in London, boroughs like Hackney and Hammersmith & Fulham reported 76% of pupils meeting the expected standards, while in parts of the North West such as Liverpool and Manchester, the figure drops to around 55%. In Yorkshire and the Humber, Hull saw 66% of pupils hit the expected levels, whereas Sheffield and East Riding trail behind at about 57%. Similarly, in the North West, Trafford stands out with 70%, contrasting with areas like Cumberland at 54%. These variations underline persistent inequities in educational attainment tied to geographic and possibly socioeconomic factors.
These KS2 tests, managed under guidelines set out by the Department for Education and administered following detailed protocols, use scaled scores to determine whether a pupil has met the expected standard. A scaled score between 100 and 120 indicates successful attainment. The comprehensive reporting and scoring system is designed to ensure fairness and clarity in pupil assessments. Schools and educators use this data not only to gauge overall performance but also to identify pupils needing additional support before progressing to secondary education.
The government’s assessment framework for 2025 continues to seek consistency across schools, but the data underscores ongoing challenges in achieving equitable educational outcomes across regions and local authorities. Policymakers and educators may need to focus on targeted interventions to close these gaps, ensuring all children have a fair start as they move into secondary education.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
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The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
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Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
✅ The narrative is based on the 2025 Key Stage 2 assessment results, published on 8 July 2025. ([gov.uk](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-2-attainment-2025-national-headlines?utm_source=openai)) The article was published on 16 September 2025, indicating high freshness.
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
✅ The article does not contain any direct quotes, suggesting original content.
Source reliability
Score:
9
Notes:
✅ The narrative originates from the Yorkshire Post, a reputable UK newspaper. However, the article does not provide direct links to the official Department for Education statistics, which would enhance credibility.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
✅ The article presents plausible data on regional disparities in Key Stage 2 assessment results. However, the lack of direct citations to official sources slightly reduces the score.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
✅ The narrative is fresh, original, and plausible, with a high level of confidence in its accuracy.
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