Last updated 19:43, Thursday, 24 July 2008

CUMBRIA’S 11-year-olds appear to have performed well in national tests – despite the chaos surrounding the marking of this year’s Sats.

Figures from Cumbria County Council reveal many 14-year-olds, possibly around 2,500, have not had their marks yet.

Almost a third who sat the key stage three English paper are still waiting for marks.

Unvalidated figures show that results from 250 county schools where 11-year-old pupils sat key stage two papers in May are above national averages, but official figures will not be published until later this year.

The level of year six pupils in Cumbria reaching the desired level four or above in English this year is said to be 83.4 per cent. Last year’s final figure was 83 per cent and the national average 80 per cent.

In maths, this year’s figure is currently at 81.6 per cent compared to Cumbria’s 2007 average of 80.8 per cent and nationally 77 per cent. In science, it is thought to be standing at 90.1 per cent compared to last year’s Cumbrian average of 90.8 per cent and national figure of 88 per cent.

In Cumbria, 32.4 per cent of 14-year-olds (1,852 pupils) have not had their English marks, 13.1 per cent (752 pupils) their maths. Less than one per cent, 46 teenagers, are waiting for science results.

An independent inquiry has been launched after a catalogue of complaints, including batches of papers sent back unmarked, errors in marking, technical glitches with a centralised website and reports of teenagers who have just sat A-levels marking tests.

ETS is the private firm which won a £154 million five-year contract to provide test services to the National Assessment Agency from 2008.

It has apologised and independent standards regulator Ofqual has told the Government that, from its observations, the quality of marking is at least as good than in previous years.