NORTH Yorkshire education bosses have spoken of their optimism about tackling the slide in the average attainment of children as they progress through primary schools in the county.

Executive member for education Councillor Annabel Wilkinson and North Yorkshire Council’s director of children’s services Stuart Carlton said they were hopeful a reading project the authority had launched for Year 6 pupils would see “good movement” in the area for the first time.

They were responding to concerns raised by the chair of the council’s children’s scrutiny committee, Councillor Barbara Brodigan, after an officer’s report revealed a significant difference between primary pupils attainment in North Yorkshire and elsewhere.

The document highlighted how analysis of the early years foundation stage in North Yorkshire showed average outcomes that were above the national average, with 71.1 per cent of children achieving a good level of development, compared to 67.9 per cent nationally.

Officers said the results were approaching pre-pandemic levels, when rates of attainment were slightly higher and an improvement from the 70.3 per cent reported last year.

However, the report showed by the time children left primary schools attainment in the county had fallen three percentage points below the national average in reading, writing and maths.

While the results of children in Key Stage 2 has improved on the previous year, only 58 per cent of children achieved the expected stage in the key skills.

Coun Brodigan said: “Why does attainment seem to fall away as pupils get older and move through the primary school system?”

Councillor Annabel Wilkinson said the authority had introduced a targeted reading project which was improving attainment within schools, and the gap from the national average was closing.

The aim of the project is to support schools and academies across North Yorkshire to improve attainment in reading at the end of Key Stage 2 so that overall outcomes are at least inline with the national figure.

Coun Wilkinson said all local authority maintained schools received monitoring and challenge from senior education advisors and as part of autumn planning meetings at every school results were analysed.

Mr Carlton added if the reading project proved successful, the authority was hoping it could be replicated for maths.