Primary school league tables: Find out about the state of education in your area

Scroll down to see the results for your area.

Dudley

Improvements across Dudley's primary schools show standards in the borough are 'moving in the right direction', according to an education chief.

Primary schools in the borough were ranked joint 79th in the national Key Stage 2 tables - an improvement of nine places compared to 2014.

Dudley Council's cabinet member for children's services Ian Cooper said the latest results show the authority's efforts are starting to bear fruit.

A total of 80 per cent of primary pupils in the borough gained level four or better in the key subjects of reading, writing and maths.

But there is still work to be done, according to Councillor Cooper, who said the authority wants every child to have a top-class education.

He said: "What we want to have is a good or outstanding school in every area.

"That's our ambition and what we're working towards, and what our schools, parents and children want as well.

"The latest figures show we're moving in the right direction across the board.

"The government agenda at the moment is all about continuous improvement and continuous challenge.

"Local authorities' focus is about supporting schools to improve year on year.

"That seems to be beginning to bear fruit because we're working in partnership with schools.

"The council really wants to thank the students, staff and parents for all their hard work - these results are down to them at the end of the day."

The top performing school this year was Cradley CofE Primary in Halesowen, where 100 per cent of pupils managed to gain the benchmark grades.

It was also a good year for Mount Pleasant Primary in Brierley Hill.

The school jumped three places up the table to fifth spot, with 95 per cent of pupils taking Key Stage 2 tests gaining at least level four in the three key subjects.

Other impressive performers this year were Lutley Primary and Howley Grange Primary, both based in Halesowen, which saw 99 per cent and 97 per cent achievement respectively.

Primaries in neighbouring Worcestershire were rated just below those in Dudley, but some of the county's top performers are in Wyre Forest district.

A total of 76 per cent of primary schools in Worcestershire achieved level four or better in the key subjects of reading, writing and maths.

The top performing schools in Wyre Forest were Abberley Parochial VC, Cookley Sebright, Upper Arley and Wilden All Saints - where 100 per cent of students reached the benchmark.

Staffordshire

Education chiefs in Staffordshire have praised the hard work of schools after the county recorded improved results in the national league tables.

The proportion of primary school pupils in Staffordshire achieving the expected level in reading, writing and maths has risen to 80 per cent - the same as the national average.

The result marked a three per cent improvement on last year.

Figures for individual subjects were even more promising.

In writing 88 per cent of pupils managed a level 4 at Key Stage 2, up from 86 per cent the previous year. In maths, results rose by three percent to 87 per cent and pupils attaining the expected level in reading increased by two per cent to 89.

The biggest improvement was in grammar, punctuation and spelling which has shot up from 73 per cent to 80.

Staffordshire County Councillor Ben Adams, education and skills chief, said: "These initial results show that our work to improve standards in the county's primary schools is paying off, and I am pleased that improvements have been made across reading, writing and maths.

"Working with schools, and along with our school improvement partner Entrust, we have put in a lot of support to help raise standards.

"We provide tailored support across a wide range of subjects including English and maths, along with support on assessment and monitoring, and improving teaching and learning.

"We also encourage schools to form partnerships with others to ensure they are making the most of local expertise and experience.

"We want to ensure all pupils in Staffordshire are given a solid foundation on which to build upon in future years, both in education and ultimately in employment. I am pleased we seem to be consistent in improving results, but we want to go further and move faster to collectively raise standards even more.

"These results show that Staffordshire schools are definitely moving in the right direction.

"We want to ensure that every child in Staffordshire has the opportunity to attend an excellent school, fulfil their potential and be equipped with the skills and knowledge to lead fulfilling lives and rewarding careers."

Staffordshire ranked joint 79th in the country.

Last year the Government changed minimum requirements so schools where less than 65 per cent of pupils are not achieving level 4 in the three areas would be considered to be underperforming.

Walsall

Education bosses in Walsall today admitted they 'don't seem to be able to come up with the answer' on how to tackle school performance problems in the borough.

It was revealed on Thursday that primary schools in Walsall are posting some of the worst test scores in the country, ranking joint 142nd out of 152 local authorities.

Just 76 per cent of pupils are achieving level 4 or above in reading, maths and writing, compared to London, which ranked highest with a 96 per cent success rate. The national average was 80 per cent.

The borough's poor showing in the annual primary school league tables came just a week after Ofsted's annual report revealed Walsall was in the bottom five per cent in the country for youngsters attending good or outstanding schools.

Councillor Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council, said: "Like always education is a big problem and we don't seem to be able to come up with the answer.

"This is something that we genuinely do need to address, especially in relation to primary education, because you only get one chance at that.

"We do seem to be underachieving very badly.

"It is a major issue for us but it doesn't seem to be an easy nut to crack."

The academic performance table ranked Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Staffordshire as joint 79th, all with an 80 per cent success rate.

The council's education boss, councillor Chris Towe, said Walsall's success rate had gone up by three per cent compared to the previous year but claimed he was still concerned about the results.

He said: "Obviously we are disappointed that some of our schools are not performing to the level they should be.

"Our young people in Walsall deserve the best education we can give them and I would like to assure people that we are working hard to make sure that is achieved.

"We are making progress, I firmly believe that.

"It may not be fast enough for some people but we are improving.

"I couldn't defend the figures if we had gone backwards but I believe there is some good to take out of this."

Walsall councillor Doug James, who represents Darlaston, said the figures were 'shocking' to see and claimed urgent work is needed.

He said: "I think we need a complete education revolution in Walsall.

"We have been hearing the same hollow statements from the council for too long.

"To see we are ranked 142nd our of 152 authorities is shocking, we are so close to being at the very bottom of the pile, which would be incredibly damaging for the borough.

"Something needs to be done now."

Sandwell

Schools bosses in Sandwell have hailed improvements in the borough's primary schools, saying it is 'vital' youngsters get the best start in education.

Primary schools in the borough were ranked joint 79th in the national Key Stage 2 tables which were released yesterday (THURS).

Sandwell Council's cabinet member for children's services Simon Hackett said he was 'delighted' with the latest results.

Eighty per cent of primary pupils in the borough hit the national standard by gaining level four or better in the key subjects of reading, writing and maths.

Councillor Hackett said: "We are delighted with these results and the improvements made in our primary schools.

"It's so important that children in Sandwell get the best start to their education.

"These results show how well our primary schools are doing and I want to thank the children, school staff, parents and carers for all their hard work.

"It's brilliant to see that our children do as well as other children in the country."

Sandwell saw an improvement on last year's results with 80 per cent of pupils across the borough gaining benchmark grades in their Key Stage 2 exams.

The result places Sandwell in a share of 79th place out of 152 local authorities in the primary school league tables.

The best performing school in the borough was St Hubert's Catholic Primary in Oldbury, which edged Grove Vale Primary near Great Barr into second place.

Lightwoods Primary in Oldbury was third in the rankings.

Victoria Park Primary in Smethwick rose from 31st place to eighth in the standings, with 95 per cent of pupils achieving benchmark grades.

The school is part of the Multi-Academy Trust (MAT), which oversees five schools in Staffordshire, Sandwell and Birmingham.

Nationally, the new league tables show the number of schools below the floor standard - the minimum standards for pupil achievement and progress the government expects schools to meet - has fallen by nearly 100 since last year.

A total of 676 failed to meet the expected levels compared to 768 in 2014, when the benchmark level was increased.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: "The increased performance at primary level across the country demonstrates how this government is delivering on its commitment to provide educational excellence everywhere and ensure every child benefits from the best possible start in life, no matter where they come from."

Wolverhampton

Wolverhampton's education chief has welcomed the news that more pupils are reaching the minimum required standard in the three Rs but insisted the council would not be 'resting on its laurels'.

Although the city slipped to a share of 79th position in the national primary school league tables, there was an overall one per cent rise in the number of youngsters achieving the Government's benchmark grades.

Last year the Government changed minimum requirements so schools are considered to be underperforming if fewer than 65 per cent of pupils achieved at least level 4 or above in reading, writing and maths at the end of Key Stage 2. Schools failing to meet the target can be taken out of local authority control and turned into academies. Current academies can be taken over by a different sponsor.

Of Wolverhampton's 69 primary schools, four fell below the minimum required mark. Just 47 per cent of pupils at Grove Primary met the floor standard, while Hill Avenue Primary, Bushbury Hill Primary and St Michael's CofE were also off the pace.

Councillor Claire Darke, the Wolverhampton council's cabinet member for

education, said: "We are seeing some real improvements in educational attainment in Wolverhampton, but we won't be resting on our laurels and I see no reason why we cannot continue this rapid improvement in the future."

"This is tremendous news for our city's young people who have achieved best-ever results at Key Stage 2 by improving on last year's already very impressive outcomes.

"It is particularly pleasing to note that only one council in the West Midlands had a higher percentage of Key Stage 2 pupils achieving level 4 or above in these three core areas, showing the great progress pupils are making here in Wolverhampton.

"This is testament to the hard work of pupils, teachers, parents and school leaders, and I'd like to congratulate everyone on their success," she added.

Better outcomes at Key Stage 2 have come alongside improvements in school

standards across the city with 76 per cent of pupils in Wolverhampton now attending schools rated good or better by Ofsted, compared to just 57% two years ago.