KS2 Results 2024/25: North East Schools shine
The latest KS2 attainment data, released yesterday (11 September), highlights the incredible dedication of school staff across the North East in supporting children’s learning. Which isn’t surprising at all.
In 2024/25, 61 percent of pupils in our region reached the expected standard in reading, writing, and maths. This is the joint second highest in the country, which is a remarkable achievement the North East has consistently maintained since 2015/16.
That’s nearly a decade of setting the standard for other regions, and these results are made even more impressive when you consider the challenges faced by our region’s schools.
Succeeding against the odds
More of our pupils experience long-term disadvantage, higher rates of absence, limited access to mental health services, and learning in aging or poorly maintained school buildings, than any other region.
In 2024/25, 32.3 percent of North East pupils were eligible for free school meals (FSM), compared with 24.6 percent nationally, with some areas, including parts of Middlesbrough and Newcastle, seeing over 40 percent FSM eligibility.
Our region also has the highest SEND rate in England at 15.5 percent, alongside the second-highest number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs).
Additionally, absence remains a significant challenge: overall absence stands at 6.86 percent (compared with 6.38 percent nationally), and persistent absence at 19.58 percent (vs 17.79 percent).
Meanwhile, securing funding to improve school buildings remains difficult; the North East’s Condition Improvement Fund success rate was just 16 percent, compared with 35 percent nationally.
The system risks entrenching inequality
Unsurprisingly, London continues to lead nationally with 68 percent, and the gap between London and the other English regions has grown since the pandemic.
Chris Zarraga, Director of Schools North East, said: “Schools and their pupils should be congratulated for these amazing results. However, it is clear current education policy is failing to deliver support where it is needed most.
“The 2024/25 KS2 results remind us that the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers opens well before secondary school. Without serious recognition of how disadvantage affects learning, the system risks entrenching inequality and widening gaps further.”
Still, these results are a moment to celebrate the dedication of teachers, staff, and pupils across the North East, and a timely reminder that more needs to be done to ensure all children have the support and opportunities they deserve.
It’s time to reboot education on our own terms
At this year’s Schools North East Summit, we’ll hear from Jean Gross CBE (Education Expert & Best-Selling Author), Estelle Morris, Baroness Morris of Yardley (Former Secretary of State for Education), and Andy Cook (CEO, Centre for Social Justice). Their sessions will explore the complex factors affecting attainment for disadvantaged pupils, with a particular focus on working-class white boys.
Andy Cook will share research into the lives of boys growing up in the UK today and the solutions it points to. Estelle will examine the opportunities and challenges schools face following decades of reform, looking at how schools can influence outcomes both within their own classrooms and beyond. Jean Gross will challenge common myths around raising attainment for pupils eligible for free school meals, highlighting key areas where school leaders can focus their efforts to make a tangible difference.
Together, these sessions provide practical insights and evidence-based strategies for supporting disadvantaged learners and narrowing the attainment gap. Book your place now.