SCHOOLS minister Jim Knight has pledged to bridge the gender gap in English test results, by concentrating on its new personalised learning approach.

And he has vowed that the Government's reforms and relentless focus on raising standards, especially among boys, would enthuse and excite more young people about reading and writing.

Mr Knight was speaking as the Key Stage 3 achievement and attainment tables for individual schools are released today.

He congratulated schools, pupils and parents for their success but said he was determined to equip even more young people for life through ensuring they master the basics.

The proportion of young people reaching level 5 and over - the expected level for 14-year-olds - in maths rose three percentage points from 2005 to 77%.

Science rose two percentage points to 72%.

But there was a one percentage point fall to 73% in English.

Mr Knight said results boded well for future success at GCSE.

"We want to see even more young people master the basics and that's why we are determined to further drive up these results." he said.

Mr Knight pledged that more personalised learning would close the gender gap in English - which showed in September that, while eight in ten girls reached level 5 or over last year, only 65% of boys did. The gender gap in maths and science is much narrower - at one and two percentage points respectively.

Mr Knight said: "It is important to recognise that girls are doing better than boys across the industrialised world. We are putting a relentless focus on maximising each pupil's potential."