City no longer has lowest primary school grades

Almost 60% of children in Peterborough met or exceeded the national education targets in 2024/2025

Children in Peterborough no longer have the worst primary school grades in England.

In 2016, just 43% of 10- and 11-year-olds in the city reached the expected standard for reading, writing and maths.

But according to new data, almost 60% of children in the city met or exceeded the national education targets in 2024/2025.

Katy Cole, Labour cabinet member for children's services at Peterborough City Council, called the improvement a "notable achievement."

The government measures how children in each of England's local authorities perform in Key Stage 2 (KS2) Standard Assessment Tests (Sats).

In 2024/2025, 62% of children in England met the expected standard, compared to 59% in Peterborough.

The results mark a significant improvement for a city that once had the country's lowest level of educational attainment.

Now 36 areas out of 151 areas of the country have a lower percentage score than Peterborough, while 11 areas share the same score.

The regional average across the East of England was 59%, with Peterborough now ranked higher than Cambridgeshire with 56%.

The BBC has contacted Cambridgeshire County Council for comment.

In Peterborough, Barnack Primary School, Orton St John's Church School, Winyates Primary School and Paston Ridings Primary School were among some of the top KS2 performers nationally.

Spirit, the academy chain behind the schools, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the progress was the product of "schools working together for the greater good, improving children's lives by improving their education and attainment".

Cole conceded there was still more work to be done, but cited factors including "school leaders driving a relentless focus on achievement and high standards" and a culture of sharing good practice and collaboration as among the reasons for the improvement.