MORE Essex primary school children are hitting literacy and numeracy targets this year, new figures suggest.

League tables released by the Department for Education show 75 per cent of pupils aged between seven and 11 are achieving Level 4 or above in reading, writing and maths.

The score is a 1 per cent improvement on last year and far better than the national average of 63 per cent.

In Southend, the figures suggest the boroughs’ schools have been made significant progress since 2012, with 74 per cent of children making the grade, when last year just 71 per cent did last year.

James Courtenay, Southend councillor responsible for children and learning, said: “I think, overall, it’s a very good start.

“Things are improving in our primary schools, particularly in English and maths, which are fundamental in helping our primary school children to move on in their education.

“We’ve got outstanding schools assisting schools which are not quite so good in Ofsted categories.

“Also, through our school improvement strategy, the Southend Challenge, we are now managing to share best practice between schools and make improvements.

“I’m really pleased with the results, but until all our schools are three or four percent above the national average, we’re not going to stop redoubling our efforts to improve.”

The borough’s best-performing school was Bournes Green Junior, in Thorpe Bay, where 95 per cent of pupils achieved Level 4 or above.

At the other end of the table, just 48 per cent of pupils hit the target at Porters Grange Primary and Nursery School in Southend. Last year 62 per cent of youngsters hit the mark.

The Robert Drake School, in Thundersley, was Castle Point’s highest achiever, with 96 per cent of students hitting the target, while Montgomerie Primary School, in Benfleet recorded the lowest percentage, 54 per cent.

In Basildon, Great Berry Primary School was the borough’s best performer with 98 per cent of pupils achieving their Level 4 targets, while the lowest achiever was Phoenix Primary School, where just 39 per cent of pupils hit the mark.

Pupils in a dozen Essex schools countywide chalked up a 100 per cent record.