Over the past 10 years the Government has introduced a number of literacy and numeracy drives to improve standards in English and maths.

They include literacy and numeracy hours every day in our primary schools, reflecting the importance of these core subjects.

So how is Northamptonshire performing in these areas?

As a whole, the county is on par with the rest of the country, with 80 per cent of pupils achieving level 4 or above in their key stage 2 English exams, which they take aged 11.

Similarly in maths, our pupils are performing at the same level as those across England – 77 per cent are reaching the desired level – and schools are making steady improvements in both areas.

County council cabinet member for children and young people Joan Kirkbride said: "We are doing well but we are not complacent. We are always striving for more improvement because we realise how it is vitally important that when our 11-year-olds leave primary school they are equipped to take the opportunities they get at secondary school.

"We are constantly working with our primary schools to make sure every child gets the best possible education. We are realising we have to get in at an early age and we want to get parents to help because they can make a big difference in their child's education to ensure they get the best possible start in life.

"It doesn't matter what household you are born into, every child has the same chance of success. Children are like little sponges, they soak everything up so the more you can give them – the more chances and experiences – the more they soak up and the more they will be ready for school."

She added: "At one time, certainly when I was at school, you sat in a line, looked at the blackboard and everyone did the same thing. Now every child learns in a different way."

Harry Darby, the county council's head of services for schools, says the introduction of planning, preparation and assessment time has also enabled teachers to spend more time planning quality lessons.

At Loddington Primary School, near Kettering, headteacher Sue Walters says the daily literacy and numeracy hours have made a tremendous difference to the children's achievements in maths and English.

She said: "We have seen quite a lot of children make good progress because we have concentrated on literacy and numeracy but that is not to say we forget the rest of the curriculum, because we try to include literacy and numeracy in other curriculum areas as well.

"We follow the national literacy and numeracy strategies that are laid down by the government but we adapt them as well.

"I think you have to look at the way you are teaching numeracy and literacy the whole time because all children learn in different ways and learn at different speeds.

"You have to fit it to their needs as time goes on but all the time what we want is for children to achieve their very best."

The school has just introduced a new literacy strategy, where children are split into small groups to be taught using the Ruth Miskin Read Write system, which featured on the recent Channel 4 television programme Lost For Words. This involves using phonics as part of an intense teaching programme.

Mrs Walters added: "The aim is to improve their reading and writing skills. They start off with phonics and they do some reading and writing as well.

"Some of our children who have been on the programme for a term have made two average point scores in six weeks (the average is three average point scores per year), so we are really pleased and we know it is working."

So what do children think of their maths and English lessons?

Kate Buckley, 10, who is in Year 6 at Isham Primary School, said: "Our teacher does it in a fun way so it is easier to learn."

Her classmate Tom Bendall, also 10, said: "In maths he uses a little potato man drawing to help us learn percentages. It makes it more fun."
And of English, Kate says: "We have reading groups at different levels and we have targets you have to achieve on cards and when you achieve the target you can move up a group."

Louise Morgan, 10, also in Year 6, said: "They are quite easy at first but if you get higher they get