LIKE every primary school practitioner I value literacy and numeracy highly, but Mr Twigg’s comment does raise a number of issues.
Who decided that level 4 was the satisfactory standard and what research took place to determine what level 4 would be? If we set level 4 at a standard which offers sufficient challenge to the majority of the population, then by definition it must be beyond the reach of some members of that population. Can you imagine the outcry if every child did achieve level 4?
Do research findings or party political high-stakes targets decide the percentage of pupils who should achieve level 4?
K J Bryant
Headteacher
St Laurence’s CE primary school
Jockeyfield
Ludlow, Shropshire