Primary schoolchildren’s mathematical skills have recovered to pre-pandemic levels, but are still well short of the government’s target, according to latest figures.

Some 84% of children were able to make simple calculations, the so-called basic level, education inspectors found.

However, only 33% achieved the level required to start secondary school, which requires them to do more complex calculations involving multiple stages.

The Meijerink commission, a group of educational experts that set the attainment standards in 2009, said schools should aim to ensure 65% of pupils reached the higher level by the time they finished primary school.

Children in special education fared even worse, with just 16% managing the basic level and only 2% able to perform more complex calculations.

Inspectors analysed the performances of 4,500 children in various types of school.

Matthijs van den Berg, director of knowledge at the education inspectorate, said the pandemic had had an impact on children’s learning level.

“We can see in our research that children fell behind in their education during the coronavirus period. We can see that they have caught up some of that.”

Although the results were encouraging in terms of recovery from the pandemic, Van den Berg said they were still well short of the desired standards. “Only one-third of pupils have reached the level we are aiming for. We cannot be satisfied with that.”