Primary schools across Barnet performed above government expectations last year, according to new figures.

The Average Scaled Score replaced levels as a new way of measuring pupil and school performance in the previous school year (2015-2016).

Barnet Council has now confirmed the Department for Education has ranked the borough’s schools well above its national expected standards.

In reading, 73 per cent of Barnet 11-year-olds achieved at least the expected standard, higher than the England average of 66 per cent.

Pupils scored highly in grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) with 80 per cent above the standard, beating the national 72 per cent.

The results for maths also came out at 77 per cent achieving the expected standard, above the 70 per cent national average.

These results put Barnet in the top 20 per cent of local authorities for achievement in reading, GPS and maths.

However, writing results, which are teacher assessed, averaged 73 per cent, which was one per cent below the England average.

Comparisons with previous years are not possible because this is the first year the new measures have been used.

Chair of the children, education, libraries and safeguarding committee Cllr Reuben Thompstone said: “I am delighted with the latest Key Stage 2 results.

“Our pupils’ achievements are the result of a great deal of hard work and the commitment and skill of all of our fantastic teaching and schools staff.

“Combined with the increasing number of pupils in Barnet now attending good or outstanding schools this is a great way to round off another successful year for education in Barnet.”

The statistics follow the recent publication of Ofsted’s Annual Report which showed, based on inspection data up to the end of August, 95 per cent of primary school pupils and 93 per cent of the secondary school pupils attend schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.