Standards in reading at Bradford primary schools fell this year, new figures reveal.

The results are a blow to schools chiefs who must now climb an even bigger mountain to bring Bradford up to national average standards by 2005.

Only 80 per cent of seven-year-olds tested at Key Stage 1 level in May reached the required standard in reading - level 2.

Last year, 81 per cent achieved that level - two percentage points short of the national average of 83 per cent. This year the national average is likely to have risen further. But instead of closing the gap, Bradford is falling further behind.

In the writing tests, Bradford pupils are stuck on 82 per cent - the same as last year - while spelling results went up from 70 per cent to 75 per cent and Maths from 86 per cent to 89 per cent.

Clive Halliwell, principal inspector at Bradford Council, said: "The gains were higher than we were expecting, but the reading is a bit disappointing. We thought it would go up.

"Writing nationally has been the hardest thing to shift upwards - this has often been to do with boys' achievement. Boys have more difficulty in writing. We need to do better and we will continue to do better."

He added that Bradford was one of 12 LEAs piloting the Early Literacy Strategy, which extends nationwide next month. The scheme has been identifying children struggling at reception level and doing intensive work with them.

But Chris Irelan-Bunting, headteacher at Cullingworth Primary School, warned that the slight fall of only one percentage point in reading may be a 'blip'.

"We could be looking at a natural fluctuation because perhaps this year group are just not as good at reading," he said. "The fact that spelling and maths have improved shows we are doing things right."

This year's seven-year-olds will face their Key Stage 2 tests in 2005 - the year in which the new public/private partnership Education Bradford must meet tough targets by matching local results to the national average.

Councillor David Ward, executive member for education, said: "We usually do better at Key Stage 1 than we do at Key Stage 2, and are not that far off the national average. We are looking for progress at all stages, and that's what we anticipate Education Bradford will help us deliver."

Stressing it had been "a horrendous year" for teachers due to the massive schools shake-up, he said: "If we hold our own we will have done remarkably well. The large strides won't come for a couple of years - we all know that."

Key Stage 1 tests, tasks and teacher assessments are designed to assess progress, not to measure pass or failure, says the DfES.