'Positive' key classroom results

Jane Hutt said the latest results follow recent exam successes

Teacher assessments of pupils at key stages in Wales show across the board improvements, said the education minister.

But girls are still out-performing boys across all ages and across all subjects and the Conservatives said boys were not being "inspired to learn".

Jane Hutt welcomed "another set of positive results" for pupils aged seven, 11 and 14.

The assessments replace SATS tests, which were scrapped in Wales.

KEY STAGE 3 RESULTS English 69.5 hit target +0.9% change Welsh 72.3 -0.3% Mathematics 72.5 +2.6% Science 73.7 +3.2% CSI (Eng/Welsh/Maths/Science combination) 59.6 +2.9% Source: Welsh Assembly Government

The figures were higher than 2007 levels, apart from a 0.1% fall in maths at key stage one and a 0.3% fall in Welsh at key stage three.

The greatest difference between girls and boys is in English, and the smallest gap is in science and maths.

Meanwhile, 20% of seven and 11-year-olds and just over 30% of 14-year-olds have still not achieved the expected targets for reading.

Shadow education minister Andrew Davies AM said: "It should be a matter of concern that the gap in educational achievement between boys and girls is so wide - and getting wider.

"Sadly I remain to be convinced that the assembly government has the will or the ideas to do much about it."

He said boys across Wales were being left behind because they "were not being inspired to learn to the same degree as girls".

Overall, the results were welcomed by education minister Ms Hutt.

"This good news follows hot on the heels of excellent A-level and GCSE results," she said.

"The rise in performance across the key stages once again highlights that Wales is making positive progress under our revised assessment arrangements.

"Our focus is very much on consolidating progress made to date and building on it for the future."

The results have been published earlier under a new electronic system.