English pupils have made a strong showing in the latest round of prestigious international tests, maintaining their scores in maths and improving in science, a subject in which they rose to fifth in the league tables.
They were among students from 70 countries who participated in the 2023 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (Timss), which takes place every four years, providing education policymakers with international comparisons.
Experts had expected to see a dip in attainment when results were published on Wednesday, due to the continued impact of disruption caused by Covid. The last round of international Pisa tests, taken in 2022 and published last year, showed a sharp decline in results across the board.
Analysis by experts at University College London (UCL) found England’s performance was “surprisingly resilient”. Pupils maintained strong scores in maths, which have been improving over the past two decades, while science results went up significantly after a sharp downturn in the 2019 cycle.
Though England’s results are significantly higher than the international average, they still lag behind the world’s highest-performing education systems, including Singapore, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, and Hong Kong, which topped the tables once again.
The online tests were completed by 8,300 pupils in England last year, drawn from two different age groups – primary schoolchildren in year 5, aged 9 and 10, and secondary pupils aged 13 and 14 in year 9. In total 650,000 students across the world took part.
Year 5 pupils in England scored an average of 552 in maths, fractionally down on 2019’s score of 556, putting them ninth in the overall ranking, with Singapore leading with a score of 615.
The older cohort of year 9 pupils got an average score of 525, a slight increase from 515 four years earlier, putting them in sixth place, with Singapore once again at the top of the table with 605. Australia and the US scored 509 and 488 respectively.
In science, England’s year 5s came in fifth with an average score of 556, up from 537 in 2019. Ahead of them were Singapore (607), South Korea (583), Chinese Taipei (573) and Turkey (570). England’s older cohort also took fifth place in science with an average score of 531 – up from 517 four years earlier – in a table topped yet again by Singapore (606).
Principal investigator Dr Jennie Golding, of the IOE, UCL’s faculty of education and society, said: “Given that pupils in this cycle were tested just three years after the pandemic lockdowns started, we expected to see lower scores in England and indeed across most participating countries.
“The fact that pupils in England have maintained and even improved their scores is down to their hard work over the last few years and the determination and dedication of their teachers in supporting learning through prolonged, incredibly difficult circumstances.”
The UCL report said: “Importantly, though, average performance measures can mask the struggles of particular groups of pupils whose learning has been less resilient over recent years, and there are aspects of concern in the findings that require further exploration.”
The school standards minister, Catherine McKinnell, said: “High and rising standards are at the heart of this government’s mission to break down barriers to opportunity and ensure every child has the best life chances.
“To drive up standards in key subjects like maths, physics, chemistry and computing, we’re offering tax-free incentives of up to £31,000 to attract talented trainees to teaching. The government’s independent curriculum and assessment review will also ensure children leave education ready for life, work and the future.”
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