Only 55 per cent of 11-year-old boys will enter secondary school next month with the expected writing ability to cope with the curriculum. Girls fare better, at 72 per cent, but more than one in four is below the standard for her age.

Overall results from this year’s national curriculum tests showed a rise of 1 percentage point in the proportion achieving level 4, the expected standard at age 11, in English and maths. The improvement in maths to 75 per cent means that ministers have finally hit the target they set schools for the 2002 tests. The pass rate of 79 per cent in English, however, still falls shy of the 2002 target of 80 per cent.

The Government has raised the target to 85 per cent of pupils reaching the expected standard at 11 in both subjects by next year, a goal that schools are almost certain to miss.

Jacqui Smith, the School Standards Minister, said the results showed “the level of achievement for boys and girls in English and maths has never been higher”. She added: “It shows that this Government’s unrelenting focus on the basics is paying off.”

However, data released by the Department for Education and Skills showed that only 70 per cent of pupils left primary school this year with level 4 in English and maths. This was 3 percentage points more than in 2004 but still means that about 180,000 children will start secondary school without the ability in English and maths that ministers say is critical to their success at GCSE.

“What we know is that nearly 7 out of 10 of those children who achieve level 4 at 11 go on to achieve five good GCSEs, as against 1 in 10 of those who don’t,” Ms Smith said.

Head teachers called for urgent action to close the gap of 10 percentage points in English — passed by 84 per cent of girls and 74 per cent of boys. The gap in reading narrowed from 8 to 5 percentage points this year, at 87 per cent for girls and 82 per cent for boys, but widened from 15 to 17 points in writing.

David Hart, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: “While it is good to see boys’ reading improve, the yawning gap between boys’ and girls’ writing skills needs to be closed quickly. There is one hell of a lot to do. Primary schools are having to tackle an attitude amongst boys which basically says that it’s not cool to learn.”

The results showed virtually no gender difference in maths or in science, where the overall pass rate of 86 per cent was unchanged from 2004. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher level 5 at 11, the standard expected of an average 14-year-old, showed no change in English, 27 per cent, or maths, 31 per cent, but rose by 4 points in science to 47 per cent.

Again, there were big differences between the genders in English, with 33 per cent of girls and 21 per cent of boys achieving level 5. Ten per cent of boys reached the higher standard in writing against twenty-one per cent of girls.

Percentage of pupils aged 11 achieving level 4 or above in 2005 tests

English Boys 74 per cent Girls 84 All 79

Writing Boys 55 per cent Girls 72 All 63

Reading Boys 82 per cent Girls 87 All 84

Maths Boys 76 per cent Girls 75 All 75

Science Boys 86 per cent Girls 87 All 86

SOURCE: DEPARTMENT FOR EDUCATION AND SKILLS

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