THOUSANDS of Oxfordshire pupils fell short of expected standards in core subjects as they reached the end of primary school this year.

The Department for Education has released a table showing every primary school in Oxfordshire and the SATs scores Year 6 children achieved.

Scroll down for results at a glance and a link to the full table

About 2,600 children county-wide did not hit targets in the compulsory exams, which cover maths, reading and writing and are typically taken at the age 11.

Education leaders have raised concerns about SATs 'demoralising' young children and 'damaging' schools' reputations, with a league table culture encouraged by the government's school comparison tool.

Anne Dellar, head of Oxfordshire's largest academy group the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust, said: "SATs for some children may be a positive experience and good preparation for the examination system.

"For many others, they can be stressful and demoralising."

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Of 7,435 Oxfordshire children in Year 6, 65 per cent met the expected standard, which matches the national average.

The county hit the average for reading and writing, but was slightly below average for maths.

Ms Dellar, chief executive at ODST, said: "SATs do not reflect many of the incredible learning experiences children have.

"They do not predict a child’s potential, nor sum up seven years of a broad and balanced primary education.

"They are a useful measure of some specific achievements, but what we do in schools is so much more than that."

Performance across the trust rose this year, with 64.4 per cent of children hitting the standard.

Individual schools are assessed with a score, measuring pupils' progress between the end of Key Stage 1 and the end of Key Stage 2, compared to pupils across England who got similar results.

Also read: Key Stage 1 SATs results 2019 for Oxfordshire revealed

A score above zero means pupils made more progress, and most schools score between -5 and +5.

The government's comparison tool categorises scores from 'well below average' to 'well above'.

Wolvercote Primary School in Oxford came top in the county for reading, with a 'well above average' 5.5, followed by Windale Primary School in Blackbird Leys with 5.

The latter also gained 'well above average' in maths.

Oxford Mail:

Staff and pupils celebrating great KS2 SATs results at Windale Primary School

Katie Geran-Haq, headteacher of Windale, said: "It is testament to the incredible amount of hard work by our children, their families, the whole staff team, United Learning and our partners.

"We are highly ambitious for our pupils and know that with the right foundations firmly in place, we can open up a world of opportunities for them."

Sibford Gower Endowed Primary School came top in writing, a 'well above average' 6, followed by St Andrew's CE Primary School in Headington with 4.4.

The latter was labelled 'well above average' in all three, also coming third in the county for maths.

Second-best was Hardwick Primary School in West Oxfordshire with 4.5, trumped by New Marston Primary School in Oxford, which topped the maths scores with 4.7.

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For the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard, three schools gained 100 per cent - Fringford CE Primary School near Bicester, Great Tew County Primary School in West Oxfordshire and Longworth Primary School near Abingdon.

Each had cohorts of around a dozen pupils.

The county's biggest primary school, Windmill Primary School in Headington, had a cohort of 86 and gained 'above average' in reading and maths, and met the average for writing.

Headteacher Lynn Knapp said comparison can be 'damaging' as there is more to statistics than meets the eye.

She said: "Our philosophy is that we have to do them, but the more you put pressure on children, the less well they will perform.

"There's a lot of unnecessary stress.

"Obviously we want the best SATs and best progress for children, but it's for their sake, not for our data.

"It's about being literate and numerate so they can get to secondary school."

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Shellingford CE (Voluntary Aided) School near Faringdon, which had a cohort of 13, recorded 'well below average' scores in all three subjects, with -8.1 in maths.

Larkrise Primary School in East Oxford, with 56 pupils, also had 'well below average' across all three, as did Carterton Primary School, with 30 pupils, and Finstock CE Primary School near Chipping Norton, with 14 pupils.

Gateway Primary School in Carterton recorded 'below average' in reading and maths, and 'well below average' in writing, with a cohort of 31.

St Francis CE Primary School in Cowley had 'well below average' scores for writing and maths, and 'below average' for reading, with 40 pupils.

Results at Wantage CE Primary School were judged to be 'well below average' in reading and maths and 'below average' in writing, with a 52-pupil cohort.

Headteacher Andrew Browne said Wantage is a good school, as Ofsted confirmed this year.

He added: "It has a positive reputation and is consistently over subscribed.

"Outcomes in the early years and Key Stage 1 are above national averages, and the school has over time performed well in all year groups."

He acknowledged that Year 6 outcomes for 2018-19 were 'lower than previous outcomes', but added: "We are very proud of the children, who worked exceptionally hard throughout the year.

"We hear they have made a very good start in their new secondary school."

Government guidance states: "A negative progress score does not mean pupils have made no progress, or the school has failed."

View the full table here to see results for your child’s school

Schools judged 'well below average' in all three subjects:

- Larkrise Primary School in East Oxford (56 pupils)

- Carterton Primary School (30 pupils)

- Finstock CE Primary School near Chipping Norton (14 pupils)

- Shellingford CE (Voluntary Aided) School near Faringdon (13 pupils)

Schools judged 'well above average' in all three subjects:

- St Andrew's CE Primary School in Headington (31 pupils)

- West Oxford Community Primary School (30 pupils)

- King's Meadow Primary School in Bicester (58 pupils)