There is no need to be too despondent over the latest report on the progress of Bradford primary schoolchildren in some key areas.

It is disappointing, certainly, that the number of seven-year-olds reaching the required standard at Key Stage 1 level in reading was one point down on last year at 80 per cent, lagging still further behind the national average for the year 2000 of 83 per cent. And while writing standards, at 82 per cent, have not improved, neither have they worsened, remaining two per cent behind the national average.

However, spelling standards have risen very encouragingly - by five points to 75 per cent - while in Maths the 89 per cent figure is up by three per cent on the previous year and is now only one per cent behind the national figure for 2000.

So on balance the gains more than outweigh the losses and the educational standards could be said, overall, to have taken a useful stride forward. The showing against the national figures could actually be considered commendable, given the particular problems Bradford faces - not least the fact that a fair proportion of pupils joining the schools system only two or three years earlier will have had to learn English.

With the additional problems caused by the schools reorganisation, these results are perhaps better than some people might have expected. A fairer guide to the progress of the youngsters will surely come next year, when things have settled down in the new system and when Bradford's participation in the national Early Literacy Strategy has had longer to make an impact.