18 hours ago
Pupils in Wales show progress in reading and maths skills
New statistics from the 2023/24 academic year show improvements in English reading, Welsh reading, and numeracy across Wales.
English reading attainment rose in all year groups compared to 2022/23, with Year 3 pupils performing better than in both 2020/21 and 2021/22.
Welsh reading also saw gains across Years 3 to 9, while numeracy (procedural) showed the most improvement among younger pupils.
Numeracy (reasoning) remained stable.
Lynne Neagle, cabinet secretary for education, said: "It is encouraging to see progress in attainment in reading and numeracy.
"This improvement highlights the impact our investments are making in schools to ensure every learner has the opportunity to reach their full potential."
The data comes from anonymised results of the national personalised assessments, which are adaptive online tools used to measure pupil progress in reading and numeracy.
Personalised assessments aim to support learning by identifying strengths and areas for development.
Trystan Phillips, headteacher at Ysgol Gymunedol Penparc in Ceredigion, said the school has changed how it uses the assessments.
Mr Phillips said: "We have evolved in our use of the personalised assessments to move away from their use as a summative resource to being a resource that truly influences progress.
"They're very much now a device to support pupil progress."
Owen Evans, Estyn's chief inspector, said the tools help teachers tailor support and track learning.
Mr Evans said: "Personalised assessments are a useful tool for schools.
"They enable teachers to tailor support for individual pupils and track progress over time.
"We are pleased to see some improvement, but schools need to work together to support attainment, and ensure there is a relentless focus on improving reading and mathematics for all learners."
