SATS results have shown another year of improvement for Cumbria's schools.

Based on the provisional Key Stage Two results, Cumbria has shown significant improvement in outcomes in 2017.

Around three quarters of local authority areas nationally have returned results to the government, so a full picture will not be known until the end of August.

However based on the provisional picture so far, Cumbria's results show the number of children achieving the expected standard in combined reading, writing and maths has increased by almost 10 per cent to 61 per cent.

Achievement in writing has improved by more than seven per cent to 77.2 per cent. In maths the figure has increased by more than six per cent to 73.6 per cent. In spelling, punctuation and grammar the result has increased by around 5.5 per cent to 75.9 per cent. In reading the figure has also risen by more than five per cent to 73.5 per cent.

Cumbria County Council said the changes in assessment last year, particularly in writing, led to some variation in the application of assessment criteria and a greater variability in results across the country. The local authority said Cumbria headteachers, Year Six teachers and assessment leads had worked incredibly hard to moderate and improve the consistency of assessment this year. The council said it was pleasing to see that the improvements were evident in both teacher assessments and externally marked tests.

Councillor Sue Sanderson, cabinet member for schools and learning, said: “These results reflect the hard work and commitment of our school leaders and staff teams, together with the amazing efforts of our children.

"Schools have worked in collaboration through Cumbria Alliance of System Leaders to drive improvements this year - there is an openness to share data and seek support when needed.

"Above all though, we are proud of our children. They all have a talent to be nurtured above and beyond the narrow measure of SATs and we wish every Year 6 pupil across Cumbria continued success and happiness in the next stage of their education.”