England's performance in maths rises in PISA rankings

Pupils in England have risen up the international rankings for maths, placing England as one of the top performing countries in the western world.
 
A worldwide education study published shows England has significantly outperformed the international average and risen from 17th for maths in 2018 to 11th, and from 27th in 2009.
 
The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international assessment of 15-year-olds’ mathematics, reading and science ability, conducted by the OECD.
 
The results also show that England has ranked 13th for both reading and science, having been placed at 14th and 13th respectively in 2018 and 25th and 16th in 2009.
 
They build on England’s significantly improved position for 9- to 10-year-olds reading ability in a separate international study earlier this year, PIRLS, in which English children were ranked fourth out of 43 comparable countries – making them the best in the West.   
 
Aside from attainment, the report has also highlighted other positives findings, including that England’s education system is more equitable than most – meaning that all children have access to a brilliant education and a chance of success, no matter their background.
 
Additionally, the report found that pupils in England were generally more positive about the quality of their maths lessons and the support given by their teachers, than the OECD average.