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Pupils move to top of the class

Jan 16 2009 by Nicola Juncar, The Journal

MORE North East pupils are leaving school with top GCSE grades than ever before.

The national league tables showing how our region’s students performed at last summer’s exams were released by the Government yesterday.

They showed a significant improvement for all North East authorities, with several schools being singled out for extra praise by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF).

Northumberland schools were the best performing in the region at reaching the Government’s “golden standard” for pupils getting five or more A* to C grades including English and maths.

The county’s pass rate was 50.9%, compared to the national average of 47.6%. This rises to 70.2% for top passes across all subjects, which also exceeds the national average of 65.3%.

The best performing school in the county was The King Edward VI School, in Morpeth, with a pass rate of 75%, including English and maths, and 89% across all subjects.

Other top performing schools in Northumberland were Queen Elizabeth High School, Hexham, and Cramlington Learning Village, with pass rates including English and maths at 69% and 65% respectively.

The King Edward VI School was also named in the Government’s “top 200 most improved” table for its year-on-year success between 2005 and 2008.

Headteacher at The King Edward VI School, Simon Taylor, said: “Last summer saw the best results for the school – not just the pass rate for pupils doing well in English and maths, but our pass rate for pupils achieving top grades across all subjects was also our best.

“Getting good grades in English and maths is hard work, but all of our departments are performing well and they all deserve credit for this achievement.”

It was listed alongside eight other secondaries from the region.

These are: Thomas Hepburn, in Felling, Gateshead; Durham Johnston Comprehensive, in Durham City; Shotton Hall School, in County Durham; Tanfield School, in Stanley, County Durham; St Mary’s Catholic High, in Newcastle; St Bede’s Catholic School, in Lanchester, County Durham; Heworth Grange, in Felling, Gateshead and Monkseaton Community High, in North Tyneside.

Headteacher at Durham Johnston School, Carolyn Roberts, said: “We are most delighted at the praise we’ve received for showing year-on-year improvements, particularly in English and maths, as we pride ourselves on working hard on the basics as well as encouraging our pupils to study a wide breadth of subjects.”

Meanwhile, secondary schools across County Durham were celebrating some of the highest levels of improvement in the country.

The league tables showed the local authority was ranked 10th out of 149 for improvement in pupils’ achievement based on “value added scores”.

These scores measure the amount of progress pupils make between the age of 11 and the time they sit their GCSEs, whilst taking into account their social background.

Across the county, 15 out of 36 secondary schools were ranked in the top 10% nationally for their value added scores.

Five had scores that put them among the top 60 out of around 4,000 schools in the country.

These are – Stanley School of Technology, in Stanley; Staindrop School Business and Enterprise College, in Staindrop; King James I Community Arts College, in Bishop Auckland; Parkside School, in Willington and Shotton Hall School, in Peterlee.

Two of the schools in the top 10% nationally for their value added scores also saw more than 70% of their pupils achieving five or more top grades, including English and maths.

They are Park View Community School, in Chester-le-Street and St Bede’s Catholic School, in Lanchester.

County Durham schools also exceeded the national average for pupils getting five or more top grades across all subjects with a pass rate of 66.2%.

Coun Claire Vasey, cabinet member for children and young people’s services at Durham County Council, said: “This is the true measure of our schools’ success and is a wonderful recognition of the hard work and dedication that pupils, their families and their teachers have shown.”

For the eighth year in a row, Newcastle’s pass rate went up and it now exceeds the national average for the first time.

In addition, Gateshead was named the fourth best authority in the country for its pass rate of five or more top grades across all subjects, which now stands at 75%.

The borough’s top performing schools were Cardinal Hume, in Old Durham Road; Emmanuel College, in Lobley Hill and St Thomas More Catholic School, in Blaydon, which have overall pass rates between 97% and 98%.

The number of students gaining top grades in English and maths has also increased since 2007, with some Gateshead schools improving by as much as 29% in just 12 months.

The pass rate for pupils getting at least five A* to C grades across all subjects in Newcastle is now 67% – up 6% on 2007.

The Government has now confirmed Newcastle is the second most improved authority in the country over the last decade – beaten only by Halton Borough Council, in Cheshire.

Coun Nick Cott, executive member for children and young people, said: “Newcastle schools have a remarkable record of improvement and achievement over the past few years, which can be a source of great pride for everyone in the city.”

Kenton School, in Drayton Road, and St Mary’s Catholic School, in Benton Park Road, Longbenton, are joint top after achieving the best GCSE pass rate in the city’s history.

Last summer, both schools saw 85% of their pupils achieve five or more A* to C grades and these were followed closely by Sacred Heart High, in Fenham, with 83%. All three secondaries are now in the top 25% of schools nationally. In addition, Kenton and St Mary’s are named in the top 5% nationally for their value added scores.

North Tyneside schools have also beaten the national average for pupils getting five or more top GCSEs across all subjects with a pass rates of 67%.

Coun Norma Redfearn, Cabinet member for children, young people and learning said: “These results continue an improving trend in North Tyneside and are a credit to the hard work of our young people and staff.” South Tyneside and Sunderland schools fell just below the national average of 65.3% with pass rates of 64.9% and 63.9% respectively. But both authorities have improved on their 2007 pass rates which were around the 59% mark.

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Pass rates

Pass rate for five or more A* to C grades including English and maths.

County Durham 44.5%

Gateshead 47%

Newcastle 39.2%

North Tyneside 50.4%

Northumberland 50.9%

South Tyneside 42.6%

Sunderland 43%

ENGLAND 47.6%

Pass rate for five or more A* to C grades across all subjects.