NORFOLK was going in the right direction again today as primary league tables showed a slight improvement in maths and science test results for 11-year-olds.

NORFOLK was going in the right direction again today as primary league tables showed a slight improvement in maths and science test results for 11-year-olds.

The tables show the usual extremes of performance in Norfolk, with Cringleford Primary, near Norwich, among those leading the way and Greenacre Primary in Great Yarmouth near the bottom of the national pile.

The publication of the primary school league tables is always accompanied by a furore about standards, and classroom anger about whether it is fair to compare different schools on the same measure.

Chris Keates, general secretary of the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT), said: “The sooner performance league tables are abolished and a sensible system of reporting all the achievements of schools is introduced the better.”

Nationally, rising numbers of primary schools are failing to give the majority of their pupils a decent grounding in reading, writing and arithmetic, according to the key stage two tables.

At 885 primaries in England more than half of 11-year-olds failed to reach level four, the standard expected of the age group, in both their English and maths national curriculum tests.

Last year, 798 schools had more than half of pupils failing to reach level four in the two subjects.

The tables also reveal that fewer schools are scoring full marks in the tests.

? Find out how your local school fared and compare it with its neighbours. For unrivalled coverage, including results for every primary school in the EDP area for this year and the previous four years, see tomorrow's EDP.