PRIMARY school league tables should focus on pupil progress rather than demand higher levels of attainment, according to a new report.

The CentreForum think tank has urged ministers to prioritise progress over attainment as a fairer measure and consider rethinking proposed reforms to the primary school league tables, which will next year raise the bar on expected baseline standards.

The tougher regime will mean at least 85 per cent of Year 6 pupils will be expected to reach required standards, up from the existing 65 per cent threshold.

Clare-Marie Burchall, executive head of St Mary’s and St Catherine’s Catholic Primary Schools, said: “If pupils are to thrive and be successful learners at secondary school, then they need to leave primary being able to access the curriculum at secondary level. That is why there is an urgency to increase floor standards by 20 per cent.

“But this can be a real challenge. Swindon primary schools have an increasing proportion of pupils for whom English is not their first language as well as being inclusive communities catering for pupils with a wide range of abilities.”

Schools that do not reach the new threshold will be judged on the progress of their pupils.

Report co-author James Kempton, associate director for education and social mobility at CentreForum, said: “When it comes to judging the impact schools are making, the best and fairest measure is to assess the progress that all pupils make whilst they are in the school.

“Attainment thresholds mean some pupils’ success are more important to the school’s league table place than others. That is not fair and at odds with the Government’s own aims.”

Critics have warned that if schools are to judge pupils’ progress from reception, rather than Year 2 as is now the case, there will need to be new baseline tests for four and five-year-olds in the first weeks of school.

Early years experts have have launched a last-ditch petition to try and stop the new tests.

The Government announced it would be going ahead with the exams in March last year and will soon announce which tests have been approved.

Beatrice Merrick, chief executive of Early Education, the British Association for Early Childhood Education, said: “The baseline assessment will take up staff time just when they want to help children settle into school.”

A DfE spokesman said the measure was needed because too many pupils were leaving primary schools without mastering numeracy and literacy.