Introduction

These tables provide information on the achievements of pupils in local primary schools and how they compare with other schools in the area and in England as a whole.

The tables provide information on:

• The Key Stage 1 (KS1) to Key Stage 2 (KS2) value added measure which shows how much value each school has added, based on the progress made by individual pupils from KS1 to KS2;
• the KS2 results from the tests taken in May 2003 in English, mathematics and science;
• rates of pupil absence from school both with permission and without; and
• background information on each school, including its name, address and telephone number.

The information contained in these tables provides only part of the picture of each school's overall achievements. The tables should, therefore, be considered alongside other important sources of information such as Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) reports, school prospectuses and Governors' Annual Reports. Maintained schools must provide parents with prospectuses and Governors' Annual Reports on request.

Parents may be interested to see the Ofsted report for a school. Maintained schools are inspected by Ofsted at least once every six years. Ofsted inspections focus on the quality and standards of education at the school, the quality of leadership and management, and pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The full Ofsted inspection report and report summary can be obtained from Ofsted's website at http://www.ofsted.gov or direct from the school.

The tables cover each local education authority (LEA) area in England. All maintained primary schools in the area are listed in alphabetical order. Independent schools are not included in the primary school performance tables.

Pupils who need more specialised teaching and facilities may go to special schools. If there are any special schools in the area, they are listed in a separate section at the end of the tables.

As in previous years, results are not published for schools that had 10 or fewer pupils eligible to sit the KS2 tests but background information for those schools is published. However, you may wish to contact the school direct regarding their KS2 results.