Schools in Bexley are ahead of the national average for the proportion of 7-year-olds meeting the expected standards at the end of Key Stage 1.

Pupils are assessed in four subject areas - reading, writing, maths and science - by their teachers at the end of year two in school.

Figures released by the Department for Education show that schools in Bexley had 81% of pupils at the expected standard in reading compared to 76 per cent across England and 75 per cent in writing compared to 68 per cent. In maths 82 per cent of pupils achieved the standard compared to 75% for England, and 86% in science. The national average for science was 85 per cent.

Assessments were made for 3,314 pupils in state-funded schools across the area. Girls performed more strongly than boys and the gap was widest in writing where girls were 14 percentage points ahead.

In reading, 85 per cent of girls achieved the target standard compared to 77 per cent of boys, and 33 per cent were judged to be working at above the required level.

The data also reveals the attainment gap for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, measured by looking at the scores for those receiving free school meals. Only 64 per cent of these children reached the reading target and in maths it was 69 per cent.

The Key Stage 1 assessments were introduced in 2016 to examine how children were coping with the more challenging national curriculum set by the government and the increase in the standards expected.