Singapore has the highest achieving students in international education rankings, with its teenagers coming top in tests in maths, reading and science. The influential Programme for International Student Assessment, Pisa rankings, run by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, are based on tests taken by 15-year olds in more than 70 countries. <br/><br/>The UK remains a middle-ranking performer, behind countries such as Japan, Estonia, Finland and Vietnam. OECD education director Andreas Schleicher said Singapore was not only doing well, but getting further ahead. The Pisa provides education rankings based on international tests taken by 15-year olds in maths, reading and science.

Singapore has the highest-achieving primary and secondary pupils in international education tests in Maths and Science. But primary school pupils in Northern Ireland were ranked sixth at Maths, the highest of any in Europe. <br/><br/>England's performance has not advanced since tests four years ago. The top places in these rankings are dominated by East Asian countries, such as South Korea and Japan, which are pulling away from their competitors. <br/><br/>These international rankings, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, are published every four years, based on tests taken by more than 600,000 students, aged nine to 10 and 13 to 14 in 57 countries.