SCHOOLCHILDREN in Hampshire are achieving better results in their SATs than the average in England.

Provisional figures from the Department for Education show that pupils in the county did better in maths, English and reading than the average 11-year-olds.

The national curriculum tests were taken by around 557,400 11-year-olds in England.

In Hampshire, 91 per cent of children achieved a level 4 or above in reading, compared to 89 per cent nationally.

Children are expected to reach level four by the time they start secondary school.

In writing a total of 87 per cent of children in Hampshire achieved a level four.

This compared to 85 per cent in England.

And in maths, 88 per cent gained a level four in the county, two per cent higher than the 86 per cent in England.

Results in the new grammar and spelling tests, first sat in 2013, show that 77 per cent of pupils in Hampshire achieved a level 4, compared to 76 in England.

A total of 81 per cent of pupils in Hampshire gained level 4 in all areas, compared to 79 per cent in England.

A significant proportion of pupils in Hampshire, 25 per cent, reached the higher standard of level 5 in all three subject areas.

Councillor Peter Edgar, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for education, said: “These results are excellent. The children who sat those tests last term will be starting secondary education next week with good foundations for future success.

“They should be very proud of their achievements. The hard work of the teaching staff must also be recognised. There is high-quality teaching in this country and I have had the pleasure of seeing that at first hand, having had the privilege of spending a great deal of time in Hampshire’s schools.

“We are ambitious for our schools and the pupils who are educated by them.

“To this end we do all we can to support schools to achieve such high standards and continually improve.”