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| Fewer teens achieve maths target | Fewer teens achieve maths target |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The proportion of 14-year-olds in England reaching the required standard in maths tests fell slightly this year. | The proportion of 14-year-olds in England reaching the required standard in maths tests fell slightly this year. |
| Some 76% of pupils reached Level 5 or above in the subject, which was down one percentage point on 2006. | Some 76% of pupils reached Level 5 or above in the subject, which was down one percentage point on 2006. |
| The decrease will be a disappointment to ministers but comes on the back of a three percentage point rise last year. | The decrease will be a disappointment to ministers but comes on the back of a three percentage point rise last year. |
| There was an increase of one percentage point in the proportions of pupils meeting English and science standards, to 74% and 73% respectively. | |
| Within the English test score results, there was a six percentage point increase in the share of boys meeting the required standards for reading but a drop of two percentage points in writing. | |
| We know that boys tend to read less than girls Jim KnightSchools Minister | |
| Boys' writing was highlighted as a particular concern when the primary school results for 11-year-olds were published last week. | |
| But there was good news on performance in Information Communication Technology (ICT) with a record 74% of pupils meeting or exceeding Level 5. | |
| This is a three percentage point rise since last year and a 24 point rise since 1997. | |
| The Key Stage 3 results are seen as important because they are seen as an important indicator of GCSE success. | |
| Schools Minister Jim Knight said the results were consistent with the trend of "unprecedented improvements" over the last decade | |
| "Whilst I'm disappointed to see a drop in maths and writing, it's important to put this into context. | |
| "The overall trend remains upwards and there have been dips in the past that have been quickly reversed," he said. | |
| 'Soul-searching' | |
| He added that he was pleased to see the improvement in boys' reading. | |
| "Confident literacy skills can help boys succeed in all subjects. We know that boys tend to read less than girls. | |
| "That is why we are funding every secondary school library to acquire new books targeted at teenage boys and introduced initiatives such as every child a reader." | |
| The general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, John Dunford, said: "Key Stage 3 tests should be treated as a staging post on the way to the more important examinations at 16 and 18. | |
| "They should not be turned into league tables which create days of national soul-searching." | |
| The National Association of Head Teachers said the way that standards were rising year-on-year needed to be celebrated. |