SHEFFIELD'S 11-year-olds have stalled in vital national tests taken to complete their primary education, final figures for 2009 released by the Government revealed today.
Maths results showed the most progress, up by two per cent on 2008 – but science results were static and English scores were down by one per cent.
The figures mean Sheffield has improved overall by just one per cent – and the city remains 134th ou
t of 150 English local authorities.
The failure to move up the rankings will come as a disappointment to education chiefs who hoped to build on good progress made in 2008 when pass rates rose by eight percentage points.
The city's rating had reached rock bottom in 2007, when Sheffield was the fourth worst performing authority in the country.
Estimates based on levels of social deprivation show Sheffield should be ranked around 104th to be punching its weight nationally.
The pupils' results this year largely reflect national trends – maths and science results are static, while English pass rates also fell by one per cent, the first time since 1995 that the figure has gone down.
When they took power in May last year, the council's new Lib Dem administration pledged that boosting standards in education would be a priority, with special emphasis on improving quality of school leadership.
In August Coun Paul Scriven was bullish in the face of early predictions that 2009 SATs scores would be disappointing, predicting that anyone drawing firm conclusions from the interim data would be "left with egg on their faces".
Today Coun Andrew Sangar, Cabinet member for children's services, insisted the results showed the council's campaign to drive up test results was beginning to take effect.
He said: "However, I'm not prepared to look any Sheffield parent in the face and say that how we are performing is good enough yet.
"I strongly believe that there should be no limit to the amount of effort we put into driving up standards in schools. Children who live here clearly have better prospects for achievement than they did just a few years ago, but until we have closed the gap with other cities it would be wrong to claim we are doing enough."
The picture elsewhere in South Yorkshire was broadly similar, with little or no progress from 2008.
Rotherham's pass rate was exactly the same as last year, while Barnsley fell by one per cent and Doncaster was down by three per cent.
- See The Star tomorrow for a full rundown of how individual primary schools fared this year.Got a view? Add your comment below.READ MORESubscribe to The StarMain news indexYour lettersFeaturesSouth Yorkshire's environmental newsKids ZoneMore business newsMore Rotherham newsMore Doncaster newsMore Barnsley newsLatest sport