Richmond upon Thames pupils have achieved top national rankings for phonics and Key Stage 2 results, according to data presented to the Education and Children's Services Committee.
The borough has been recognised as the top local authority nationwide for the phonics screening test and for Key Stage 2 expected standards in reading, writing, and mathematics. Overall attainment and achievement in Richmond schools remain robust, exceeding national averages across all key stages.
Councillor Julia Cambridge, Chair of the Education and Children's Services Committee, noted the spectacular kind of credibility
of the results. Ian Dodds, Executive Director of Children's Services, highlighted that the strong performance places Richmond first among local authorities nationwide for the phonics screening check, calling it incredible.
Strategies for Success and Trends
Richmond's top national rankings are attributed to several key strategies and initiatives. For phonics, the proportion of children achieving the expected standard in Year 1 increased to 89%, placing Richmond first nationwide. This represents a 1 percentage point increase from the previous year. The borough's Best Start in Life
strategy, which includes specific targets for improving early years development for disadvantaged pupils, is a significant contributor.
At Key Stage 2, 78% of children achieved the expected standard or above in reading, writing, and mathematics, an increase of 2 percentage points from the previous year, also ranking Richmond first nationwide. The report highlights Quality First Teaching and adaptive practices
and targeted support
as key initiatives to address educational inequality and improve outcomes for disadvantaged learners. Schools also benefit from half-termly PPG (Pupil Premium Grant) Lead Network meetings
for sharing best practices and bespoke support from the Lead School Improvement Adviser for Educational Disadvantage.
The percentage of pupils achieving a high standard in Key Stage 2 subjects also saw a significant increase of 4 percentage points to 21%. However, for the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, the percentage of children achieving a good level of development remained at 77%, showing no change from the previous year.
Distributed Success and Areas for Focus
The success in phonics and Key Stage 2 results is distributed across the borough. While Richmond ranks first nationwide in these areas, specific schools are also being recognised. Richmond Park Academy received a letter of congratulations for being in the top 10% of schools for disadvantaged pupils' achievement, and a good number of schools across Kingston and Richmond received similar commendations.
Despite these high rankings, a key challenge identified is the persistent attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils.
While disadvantaged pupils in Richmond perform better than their national disadvantaged peers, the gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils locally remains significant. This gap is partly attributed to a higher proportion of disadvantaged pupils having Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND).
The report also notes that the gap is widening because the children who are achieving well are doing even better,
and that focused work to narrow the disadvantage gap is challenging because these pupils are spread across many schools. Additionally, 46 children are not meeting age-related expectations in reading when transitioning from primary to secondary school.
Further details on validated test and exam results can be found in the report Validated Test and Exam Results. Information regarding provisional school headlines for 2024-25 is available in Annex A 2024-25 Provisional School Headlines.
