Standards in reading and maths surge

Subjects see significant improvements for first time in 30 years, though concerns remain for DEIS schools

The overall standard of reading and maths in second and sixth classes has significantly improved for the first time in 30 years according to new national assessments, although there are still concerns over standards achieved in DEIS schools.

The National Assessments of English Reading and Maths — the first such assessment in five years — was published yesterday, and found that standards had improved compared with those recorded in 2009 and marked the “first significant improvements in standards in reading and maths in over 30 years”.