by political editor Paul Francis and Jo Earle

Classroom standards in Kent's primary schools have improved this year.

But despite the increased performance, just under a third of pupils still failed to make the national benchmark in literacy and numeracy.

Provisional results issued by the Department for Education indicate the percentage of pupils across the county achieved the expected national level in both maths and English - Level Four - rose to 70 per cent, up two per cent on the previous year.

The national figure was 74 per cent.

There was also some encouraging news on the number of schools in Kent that passed the county council's so-called "floor" target of 55 per cent of pupils reaching Level Four in maths and English.

More than 40 of the 74 schools that fell below this in 2009 exceeded it this year.

The individual data for Kent's 416 primaries will appear in official league tables due to be published in the autumn.

The tests for 11-year-olds were disrupted in May by a national boycott but the scale of the disruption was limited in Kent with just six per cent of primaries boycotting the tests compared to 25 per cent nationally.

Nigel Utton, headteacher at Bromstone Primary School in Broadstairs - one of those schools who chose not to take the exams - said the tests were a poor reflection of the students' abilities.

He added: "I feel they cause the students a lot of distress unnecessarily at a very young age.

"The assessments my teachers do throughout the year are far more accurate than an exam in the summer at the end of year six.

"What we should be doing is preparing children to learn and teaching them how to learn well - so when they do get to secondary school the tests are part of their normal working at the age of 16 - when it is appropriate for children to be taking tests.

"I want to see that the children are actually making progress - that the teachers have evidence of it recorded over a period of time.

"I feel the assessments we have got are far more accurate."

Audio: Nigel Utton, headteacher at Bromstone Primary School, Broadstairs

County education chiefs gave a broad welcome to the provisional results, saying they were encouraged by the progress being made after stalling in 2009.

Cllr Jenny Whittle (Con), KCC's deputy cabinet member for learning, said: "I am encouraged but I would like the results to be even better. I am a supporter of intervention at an early stage and ironing out problems before children reach the age when they take the tests. Year Six [when pupils sit SATS] is rather late in the day."

She said the investment in Sure Start centres and childrens centres was beginning to pay dividends but downplayed the impact of wide-ranging budget cuts likely to be made in the Autumn.

"Of course, that is a concern but we need to do more to create partnerships between schools, particularly those that are satisfactory with those that are outstanding. I also want to see better links between primary and secondary schools - that is the way forward."

KCC is to launch a special inquiry into primary school performance in September when county councillors will take evidence from headteachers and others about what challenges they face.