GCSE success for Halesowen and Sandwell pupils (From Halesowen News)

GCSE success for Halesowen and Sandwell pupils

12:27pm Thursday 24th January 2013 in News

PUPILS in Halesowen and Sandwell have continued to smash GCSE records, according to national league tables for 2012.

Overall, Sandwell shot up 10 places in the performance table to 128th out of 151 local authorities and is the only Black Country authority to show an improvement on last year.

In Dudley, more children gained five or more GCSEs grade A* - C than ever before, with 83.2 per cent of pupils achieving the top grades compared to 81 per cent last year.

Sandwell faired slightly better with 86 per cent of pupils gaining five or more A*-Cs, three per cent above the national average.

But Dudley pupils came out slightly higher when maths and English are included with 56.1 per cent compared to 53.8 per cent in Sandwell, although Dudley’s results dipped by almost 2.5 per cent on the borough’s 2011 results, knocking it 43 places down the national rankings to 110th.

Those gaining five or more top grade GCSEs, including English and maths, were up by three per cent on last year at Halesowen’s The Earls and the school came 62nd in the top 200 most improved state secondary school table.

Leasowes was up five per cent, but Windsor was down by four per cent.
Cradley Heath’s Ormiston Forge Academy - formerly Heathfield Technology College - saw a nine per cent increase in that category to 57 per cent.

Windsor’s headteacher Keith Sorrell is “disappointed” that as part of last year’s GCSE marking issues, many students were given lower grades when the exam board changed the C grade boundary at the last minute, without which more than 70 per cent would have achieved five A*-Cs including English and maths.

Oldbury College of Sport’s results were up by two per cent on 2011 to 64 per cent, putting it in the top 200 of most improved at 190th, while Perryfields High saw a one per cent dip to 65 per cent.

Sandwell’s best ever results were praised by cabinet member for children and families Councillor Bob Badham who said: “Ten years ago the department was in special measures.

" Now we are shooting up the league table and are above the national average results. This sort of achievement would have been unthinkable 10 years ago.”

Over five years performance the number of pupils gaining five or more top grade GCSEs has increased by 29 per cent compared to an improvement of 19 per cent nationally.

When maths and English are included in the figures the gap between the borough and national figures is continuing to close rapidly.

Dudley’s cabinet member for children’s services Councillor Tim Crumpton said: “These are excellent results again for Dudley schools with so many more children than ever before achieving five or more GCSEs at grade A* - C.

“I would like to congratulate all pupils and am extremely pleased to see their hard work and dedication paying off.

“The teachers and parents should also take great pride in their support of the young people throughout.”