PUPILS in Northern Ireland score better in most numerical and verbal tests than their counterparts in England, Scotland and Wales, according to a new report.
The report by the Education Policy Institute looked at how the skills of children developed over time.
It analysed the test scores of children born in 2000 or 2001 and followed their education until 2015.
The author said although he was analysing skills measured over a decade ago, these were "the most consistent measures currently available".
As part of the study, the author looked at children's cognitive scores between the ages of three and 14.
Of a total of eight numerical and verbal tests taken up to the age of 14, Northern Ireland children had the highest scores in six of the tests.
The only major exception was a reading test at age seven which showed the north's pupils clearly had lower reading skills than their counterparts in England and Scotland, but higher than in Wales.
Northern Ireland pupils also showed lower 'school readiness' at the age of three than their British counterparts.
Since devolution, the four UK nations have gradually diverged on school and education policies.
Comparisons between the nations are usually based on OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scores, taken at the age of 15.
The PISA scores have shown that the north's children are close to average in reading and numeracy but that their science skills have fallen.
Luke Sibieta, author and Research Fellow at the Education Policy Institute (EPI), said although the PISA scores are valuable, they do not show how children's skills evolve, nor do they reflect the different family backgrounds of children across the four nations.
He said his research found there was a "positive picture in Northern Ireland, where pupils lead the way in the UK under most performance measures – even out-performing high-flying London".
"A lot of commentary has focused on the abolition of league tables and testing since devolution," he said.
"But this is too simplistic and unlikely to be the major explanation for differences.
"Much more attention needs to be paid to different teaching approaches and the curriculum across nations.
"To help countries make improvements in education, we need to see a far greater focus on comparing pupil outcomes across the whole of the UK."
