Pupils as young as five years old at a County Durham primary school are topping a national table for their reading skills.
In a recent phonics screening check, at least 95 per cent of pupils at Red Rose Primary School in Chester-le-Street reached or exceeded the required pass mark. The result is so high that the school is now ranked in the top 8 per cent of all primary schools in the country.
Headteacher Sue Bainbridge, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for all of our year one pupils and sets a very high standard of teaching at the school. Our motto is ‘Aim High Be Proud’ and the children have certainly achieved this. It is important to teach and provide Year One pupils with a firm foundation in reading so that they can develop further as they get older.
The results were praised by Nick Gibb MP, Minister of State for Schools Standards. He said: “I would like to congratulate all staff and pupils at Red Rose Primary School for delivering a very high standard of achievement in the 2016 phonics screening check.
“This year’s figures show 89 per cent of pupils who achieve the expected standard in the check go on to achieve at least the expected standard in Key Stage 1 reading, which underlines the value of developing the ability to decode words effectively at an early age.”