Results from the OECD's 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), published earlier this month, show the UK is close to the top among European countries. For the first time, the UK ranked in the top ten globally for reading, maths, and science.
The PISA survey, conducted every three years, assesses the educational skills of 15-year-olds in 91 nations. East Asian nations dominate the top five, with the UK ranking eighth overall, behind only Estonia outside that region.
While most countries saw a decline in results, the UK's scores held steady in England, with slight drops in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and a larger drop in Wales. Science scores improved across the UK. England's PISA scores show it significantly outperforms other UK nations and has pulled further ahead of European peers since the last PISA cycle.
Sam Freedman on Substack notes that even the 25% most disadvantaged young people in England outperformed the average for all pupils in Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Norway in reading.
Iain Martin on Reaction attributes England's improved record to stable, long-term policymaking, including a curriculum focused on core knowledge, an emphasis on behaviour, and high-stakes assessment. Other factors that may have contributed to success include lower distraction from digital devices in class compared to most European countries, and greater success in integrating children of immigrants, who outperform non-immigrant 15-year-olds in England.
Education Secretary Lucy Powell has proposed changes, including a broader curriculum, fewer written examinations, and more coursework and practical assessment. These proposals are part of the Labour government's plans, which also include an overhaul of SEND provision in its Education for All Bill this year, following the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026.