UK teenagers have climbed international league tables for maths, reading and science, according to the latest OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), placing the UK in the top ten worldwide for all three subjects. The improvement, driven largely by England outperforming Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, has reignited political debate over school reforms, with the government keen to build on the results and Conservatives arguing they vindicate curriculum changes made under the last Tory administration.

More than 760,000 pupils across 91 countries sat the 2025 tests. The UK rose to eighth in science (score 511, up from 500 in 2022), tenth in reading (494, unchanged from 2022) and tenth in maths (488, down slightly from 489), though it remains behind nations such as Estonia, Switzerland and Ireland. England's results, which made up the bulk of the UK entry, were credited to post-2010 reforms including tougher GCSEs, prioritised end-of-year exams and stricter grading standards, while schools minister Georgia Gould pledged to build further on the progress.