Many primary schools in England have missed tougher literacy and numeracy targets this year, new statistics have revealed.

The Sats tests Year 6 pupils take were made harder this year and this led to 767 of the approximately 15,000 schools in the country missing their targets, according to data from the Department of Education (DfE). Individual schools are set an objective of helping 60 per cent of their pupils achieve Level 4 or higher in reading, writing and maths.

Although more schools failed to reach these levels than last year, overall around three-quarters of Sats pupils achieved the expected Level 4, while one in five children (21 per cent) reached Level 5.

Individual schools that failed to make the targets now face a transition to academies, a change of leadership or closure. The government has been keen to call for an improvement in standards and has reflected this in a number of examination reforms.

It responded to the data by saying the new targets are "firm but fair" and results show evidence that schools and teaching staff are responding to the challenge set by the higher bar, as pure data suggests last year, 834 primaries would have failed to reach the new standards.

A spokesman for the DfE said: "This government brought in higher primary-school floor targets with one aim in mind - to drive up standards.

"Schools respond to this challenge. The floor standards we introduced were tougher and performance is improving. Heads, teachers and pupils deserve credit for meeting the challenge head on."

People in teaching jobs in London's schools continue to help their pupils to perform well, with the best performing local authorities in the UK being listed as: Richmond upon Thames, Trafford, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Sutton and Solihull.

If you have experience of teaching for Sat tests this year, how do you feel about the new standards? Will they help pupils achieve their full potential?