The attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 and their more affluent peers has narrowed but is still bigger than it was before the pandemic, Sats data released today reveals.

The data comes after figures published in July revealed that the proportion of Year 6 pupils reaching the expected standard in all three areas of reading, writing and maths had increased slightly but remained behind pre-Covid levels.

Overall, 61 per cent of pupils taking this year’s key stage 2 Sats tests met the expected standard in all three areas, compared with 60 per cent last year.

However, more detailed data published today by the Department for Education shows significant attainment gaps between different types of pupils.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said the disadvantage gap had not only been impacted by the pandemic but also by a “decade of cuts to school funding and community support”.

He warned that many school leaders believe KS2 Sats tests are “simply an accountability tool” and are not “reliable”.

“These tests don’t inform future teaching and learning, support children’s progress or aid their transition to secondary school,” he said.

• Sats 2024: How did pupils find the tests this year?
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• Disadvantage: DfE “does not have a strategy” for reducing disadvantage gap

Here are five findings from today’s more detailed KS2 Sats results data:

KS2 Sats results data: main findings

The disadvantage gap is narrowing but it is still bigger than before Covid

The “disadvantage gap index” is 3.12 this year, down from 3.21 in 2023.

However, the gap remains wider than in 2019, when it was 2.91.

The disadvantage gap index summarises the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and all other pupils.

In reading, writing and maths (combined), 45 per cent of disadvantaged pupils met the expected standard in 2024, compared with 67 per cent of other pupils.

Both sets of pupils performed best at reading - 62 per cent of disadvantaged pupils met the expected standard and 79 per cent of non-disadvantaged pupils. The lowest figures were in writing, with 58 per cent of disadvantaged pupils meeting the standard, and 78 per cent of their more affluent peers.

In 2024, 3 per cent of disadvantaged pupils met the higher standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), compared with 10 per cent of other pupils. 

Girls continue to outperform boys 

Girls continue to outperform boys at the expected standard in all subjects except maths, where boys outperformed girls by one percentage point (74 per cent and 73 per cent, respectively).

In reading, writing and maths (combined) in 2024, 64 per cent of girls met the expected standard compared with 57 per cent of boys. These figures were unchanged on last year.

SEND returning to pre-pandemic levels

This year 21 per cent of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), up from 20 per cent in 2023.

These figures are broadly similar to pre-pandemic levels: 22 per cent of pupils when SEND met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined) in 2018-2019.

Among pupils on SEN support, 26 per cent met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined), up from 24 per cent in 2023.

This compares with the 9 per cent of pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) who met the standard, up from 8 per cent in 2023.

London remains top of the regions

London continued to be the highest-performing region in 2024, with 67 per cent of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined).

Attainment at the higher standard in reading, writing and maths (combined) was also higher in London than in all other regions, with 12 per cent of pupils in the capital achieving the higher standard compared with between 6 per cent and 8 per cent in all other regions.

The South West had the lowest attainment of the regions, with 58 per cent of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and maths (combined). 

The South West’s lowest ranking has been consistent since the pandemic. Before Covid the Midlands - both East and West - had the lowest attainment of the regions.

Free schools still perform best

Out of the different school types, free schools performed the best this year, with 68 per cent of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined (up from 64 per cent in 2023 and 62 per cent in 2019).

The proportion of pupils achieving this in local authority (LA) schools increased slightly to 61 per cent, up from 60 per cent last year.

However, attainment in LA schools remains below the level before the pandemic, with 66 per cent of pupils hitting the expected standard in 2019.