Youngsters' writing standards fall

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For the second year in a row, the proportion of seven-year-olds making the grade in writing fell, leaving 107,000 children unable to produce adequate written English.

And the Government's results from teacher assessments across England showed no improvements in reading, maths, science, or speaking and listening skills.

Boys continued to lag behind girls, with their results in maths falling for the second consecutive year.

Schools minister Lord Adonis welcomed the figures, insisting that "high standards" were being maintained.

But shadow schools minister Nick Gibb condemned the Government's "complacency" and described the results as hugely concerning.

"These early years of school are critical building blocks for a child's education," he said. "Ministers are worryingly complacent about these figures. Once again, the Government are being too easy on themselves."

Liberal Democrat schools spokesman David Laws added: "It is national disgrace that one in four boys do not even have the most basic writing skills aged seven. The Government has lost the momentum of improvement in primary school standards."

Lord Adonis promised to press for further improvements, arguing a return to what has been dubbed a "back-to-basics" method of teaching reading through letter sounds, known as "phonics", will boost standards further, the minister argued.

He said the Government has already ordered a review of primary school maths and promised that more mental arithmetic will be taught when schools open again next week after the summer break.