More Dorset children and young people reaching key education milestones

Young people across Dorset are achieving improved educational outcomes at every stage of learning, according to this year’s provisional results data. 

The latest figures show positive improvement across the majority of key stages, reflecting the hard work, commitment and effort of pupils, school leaders, teachers, support staff, early years practitioners, governors, trust leaders and families across the county. 

Particularly strong improvements have been seen in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where the percentage of children achieving a Good Level of Development increased by five percentage points to 74%, exceeding the national figure of 72%. 

Similarly, the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check saw a substantial increase, with 84% of Dorset pupils meeting the expected standard, up five percentage points on last year and above the national average of 81%. 

At Key Stage 2, outcomes also improved. The percentage of pupils achieving the expected standard in Reading, Writing and Mathematics combined increased by three percentage points to 60%. While still below the national figure of 63%, this represents a stronger rate of improvement than seen nationally and demonstrates that Dorset is continuing to narrow the gap. Individual improvements were also seen in Mathematics (+3%), Writing (+2%), Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling (+2%) and Reading (+1%). 

Provisional Key Stage 4 outcomes are also encouraging. Dorset achievement in English at Grade 4 and above increased by two percentage points to 73%, while Mathematics increased by two percentage points to 70%. The proportion of pupils achieving Grade 4 or above in both English and Mathematics increased to 63%, a two percentage point improvement on last year. 

Cllr Clare Sutton, Dorset Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education, said: 

"We are delighted to see improvements across so many of our key educational measures this year. These outcomes reflect the dedication and hard work of colleagues across schools, trusts, early years settings and wider services who work tirelessly to support children and young people in Dorset. 

"It is particularly encouraging to see significant improvements in the early years and across a number of Key Stage 2 measures. These improvements matter because they represent better opportunities and stronger foundations for children and young people as they progress through their education. 

"While there is much to celebrate, we recognise that there is still more to do. We remain ambitious for all Dorset children and young people and are committed to continuing our work with schools and partners to raise standards and ensure every child has the opportunity to achieve and thrive." 

As further validated data becomes available over the coming months, outcomes will continue to be analysed in detail to better understand areas of strength, identify opportunities for improvement and support the sharing of effective practice across Dorset. This will help inform future school improvement activity and ensure that resources and support are targeted where they can have the greatest impact for children and young people.