SAT tests results continue to improve at primary schools across Medway.

The latest Primary School League tables released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families show the gap is closing between Medway Council’s average Key Stage 2 figures and the national average.

The average for the number of pupils in Medway achieving level four in English - the expected level of most 11-year-olds, is 78 per cent while the national average is 81 per cent.

In mathematics the average is 74 per cent with the national average standing at 79 per cent and science is 84 per cent with the national being 88 per cent.

Out of 66 primary schools listed in the tables, which includes two special schools, 29 exceeded the national average for achieving level four English - the highest was Hempstead Junior School with 99 per cent.

Cliffe Woods and St Thomas More Roman Catholic saw 98 per cent of its pupils achieving level four in maths and 100 per cent of pupils achieved level four in science at Chattenden, St Augustine of Cantebury and St Thomas More.

Included in the tables is the schools CVA (Contextual Value Added) score which looks at the progress made from one key stage to the next. A number of other factors which are outside a school’s control are also taken in to account when producing the CVA score, such as gender, special educational needs, movement between schools, and family circumstances, which are known to affect pupils’ performance.

The national average is a score based around 100 and indicates the value the school has added on average for its pupils.

The school scoring the highest CVA is St Thomas More Roman Catholic Primary school Rose Collinson, Medway Council’s director of children and adult services, said: "We are pleased that Medway’s primary school pupils have continued to show improving results in their SATs tests, taken last May in the final year of primary education, when the children were eleven.

"In these tests, 78 per cent of pupils gained level four in English - 1 per cent up on the previous year - and 74 per cent reached this standard in maths - a 2 per cent rise on 2007.

"While there is still room for improvement, we are closing the gap between ourselves and the national figure.

"Medway’s current year six pupils are now working hard to attain good grades in their SATs which they will sit this May."