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Primary results edged up, but the gap for poorer pupils widened

Qurexa Editorial Team11 September 20264 min read 0 0
Primary results edged up, but the gap for poorer pupils widened

What happened

The Department for Education published provisional key stage 2 results for England on 10 September 2026. These are the tests Year 6 pupils sit at the end of primary school, usually called SATs. Across reading, writing and maths combined, 63% of pupils met the expected standard. That is up from 62% in 2025, but still below the 65% reached in 2019, before the pandemic. Looking at the subjects separately: reading stayed at 75%, writing rose from 72% to 73%, and maths rose from 74% to 75%. The worrying figure sits underneath those headlines. The disadvantage gap index rose to 3.22, having narrowed from 3.23 in 2022 to 3.13 in 2024. Two years of progress have gone into reverse. In plain numbers: 49% of disadvantaged pupils met the expected standard in all three subjects, compared with 70% of their classmates.

Why this matters

"Disadvantaged" has a specific meaning in this data. It covers children who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years, and children who are or have been looked after by a local authority. That is about one in three pupils at key stage 2. So this is not a small minority. It is a third of every primary school year group in England. The gap at the higher standard is even starker. Only 4% of disadvantaged pupils reached it across all three subjects, compared with 11% of everyone else. Maths shows the widest subject gap, at 20 percentage points. Why care about a test at age 11? Because it is a reasonable predictor of what comes next. Children who leave primary school without secure reading and maths tend to find secondary school harder from day one, and the gap usually widens rather than closes.

What the evidence actually says

A few things are worth reading carefully. First, these are provisional figures. Final data usually follows and moves slightly. Second, the overall picture genuinely improved. Three of the four headline measures went up. The problem is that the improvement was not shared evenly, which is what pushed the gap index up. Third, there is some good news lower down. 26% of pupils receiving SEN support or provision met the expected standard, up from 24% in 2025. Fourth, place matters a great deal. London remains the strongest region at 70%, which is seven percentage points above the national figure. That is not because London children are different. It reflects decades of investment, staffing and school improvement work. On gender, 67% of girls met the expected standard across all three subjects compared with 60% of boys, and 10% of girls reached the higher standard compared with 8% of boys. What the data cannot tell you is why the gap widened this year. That will take more analysis than a single statistical release can offer.

Practical advice

If you are a parent, the most useful things are also the least complicated. Read with your child, and keep doing it after they can read alone. Ten minutes a day, out loud, with a bit of talking about the story, does more than most tutoring. Talk about numbers in ordinary life. Prices, change, timings, halves and doubles while cooking. Maths anxiety often comes from maths feeling separate from real life. Attendance matters more than almost anything else. Missing a day here and there adds up quickly. Check whether you are entitled to free school meals and register even if your child does not eat them. Registration is what triggers extra funding for the school, so it helps other children too. Talk to the school early if your child is struggling. Teachers would far rather hear in October than in June. And keep perspective. These tests measure something real, but they do not measure your child.

What to know

Provisional key stage 2 results for England, published on 10 September 2026, show 63% of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined, up one point on 2025 but still below 2019. The disadvantage gap index widened to 3.22, reversing two years of improvement. 49% of disadvantaged pupils met the standard against 70% of other pupils, with the widest subject gap in maths. Pupils with SEN provision improved slightly, and London remains the strongest region. For families, the basics still matter most: reading together, everyday maths talk, good attendance, registering for free school meals if eligible, and speaking to the school early. Sources: Department for Education, "Key stage 2 attainment: National headlines, 2025-26", 10 September 2026, https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-2-attainment-national-headlines/2025-26 | Schools Week, "Disadvantage gap in primary school attainment widens", 10 September 2026, https://schoolsweek.co.uk/disadvantage-gap-in-primary-school-attainment-widens/ | Tes, "KS2 Sats: Disadvantage gap rises to highest level in 4 years", 10 September 2026, https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/primary/ks2-sats-results-data-disadvantage-gap-widens This article is for general information about education and health-related services and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.

#SATs#primary school#attainment gap#disadvantage#Department for Education#England

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