Boys outperformed by girls in Sats tests

August 04 2010

Girls outperformed boys in the majority of this year's Sats tests, it has been revealed.

Figures published by the Department for Education show that 85 per cent of female pupils achieved Level 4 or above in English, compared to 76 per cent of boys.

In reading, 87 per cent of girls and 81 per cent of boys reached this level.

Mathematics was the only area where male students took the lead, with 37 per cent achieving Level 5, compared to only 30 per cent of girls.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Dr Richard House, senior lecturer in psychotherapy at Roehampton University, said it is important to ensure that boys are not turned off education by experiencing competitive failure.

"We must face the politically incorrect fact that there exist significant gender differences in children's development and learning," he added.

It is thought that about a quarter of schools boycotted Sats exams this year.

News brought to you by TimePlan, First for teaching jobs in the UK

Want to know more about teaching in the UK?

News Homepage