There has been a marked rise in the number of primary school children achieving the expected standards in the "Three Rs", according to new data released by the government.

Statistics showed that 79 per cent of 11-year-olds achieved at least a Level 4 in reading, writing and maths tests, which is the level expected of this age group.

The Department for Education said that as a result of this, 80,000 more children will start secondary school "more secure" in their core skills, compared to five years ago, when the coalition first came to power.

School Reform Minister Nick Gibb lauded the achievements, which also saw almost a quarter (24 per cent) of youngsters surpass the expected levels in the three subjects.

This was up on last year's figure (21 per cent) and markedly better than the statistic for 2009 (13 per cent).

"It means in the long term these children stand a far better chance of winning a place at university, gaining an apprenticeship and securing good jobs," Mr Gibb explained.

"We have set unashamedly high expectations for all children, introduced a new test in the basics of punctuation, spelling and grammar, and removed calculators from maths tests."

He added that the results demonstrated the collective effort from teachers and students in meeting the tougher standards that have come about as a result of the reforms put in place by the current government.

"Our education system is beginning to show the first fruits of our plan for education, helping to prepare young people for life in modern Britain," Mr Gibb concluded.

Some of the notable changes include a new test in spelling, punctuation and grammar, which was introduced last year and the banning of calculators from maths test, which came into force this year.