EARLY provisional results for tests taken by children in their last year of primary school show that more pupils in Hampshire are achieving the expected level.

Of the Hampshire children currently in Year 6 - aged 10 to 11 - 83 per cent gained a level 4 or better in all areas of the Standard Assessment Tests (SATs), which is an increase of one per cent on the 2014 results.

A total of 89 per cent were awarded a level 4 or above in maths, 91 per cent in reading and 89 per cent in writing.

While 27 of Hampshire children reached the higher standard of level 5 in all three subject areas, which was an improvement of two per cent from 2014.

Councillor Peter Edgar, executive member for education at Hampshire County Council, said: "This is an excellent set of results. Children currently in Year 6 should be very proud of their achievement which is testament to their hard work and that of their teachers as well as the invaluable support of their families.

"I have had the pleasure of seeing first hand the fantastic quality of education in Hampshire, having spent time in many of our 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 our family of schools to achieve such high standards and continually improve."