The number of children in Barking and Dagenham achieving the government’s target at key stage 2 has risen by seven per cent.

A total of 78 per cent of Year 6 pupils secured a Level 4 or a above in both English and maths in their SATS exams, compared to 71 per cent last year and 70 per cent in 2010, figures released last week by the Department for Education show.

The achievement puts the borough’s youngsters, who were aged ten and 11-years-old when they took the exams over the summer, almost on par with pupils across the country as a whole, as an average of 79 per cent attained the benchmark nationally.

At St Vincent’s Catholic School, in Burnside Road, Dagenham, every single child achieved the government benchmark.

Two out of the three of the best performing schools in the borough - St Vincent’s and St Theresa in Bowes Road, Dagenham - both had a low intake of pupils, with less than 30 in the year.

St Vincent’s headteacher Rachel Mahon said the school was “very proud” of its pupils but added that exam results do not reveal everything about a school or its pupils.

She told the Post: “Whilst delighted with the excellent results in 2012 we never lose sight as a school that there is a ‘bigger picture’ to the progress, attainment and development of our children that is not reflected in most statistical data.”

Among the schools that recorded the greatest improvement over the past year were Beam Primary in Oval Road North, Dagenham.

It saw the average number of pupils achieving a level 4 and above rise from 75 per cent to 94 per cent.

At the bottom end of the table were Thomas Arnold Primary School in Rowdown’s Road, Dagenham and Godwin Primary School, in Finnymore Road, Dagenham, with 55 and 58 per cent respectively.

For a full list of Barking and Dagenham schools’ achievements in key stage 4 exams, see the next issue of the Post.