The performance of East Riding schools at the end of key stage four has jumped 11 places up the national league tables to 42nd.
GCSE results have risen again for the sixth successive year. Validated results indicate that 77.7 per cent of pupils achieved five or more A*-C GCSE grades and 58.6 per cent achieved the government’s “gold standard” of five or more A*-C including English and mathematics, both these results are above the national average.
Nine schools got or exceeded 80 per cent for five A*-C passes- Beverley High,Driffield School, Hessle High, Hornsea, Snaith, South Holderness, South Hunsley, Woldgate and Wolfreton. Nine schools did better than 60 per cent for the five A*-C with English and mathematics: Beverley Grammar School, Beverley High School, Driffield, Hessle High, Hornsea, The Snaith, South Hunsley, Woldgate College and Wolfreton.
Across the East Riding schools also beat the national average for the new English baccalaureate, which represents five GCSEs at C or above including science, English, humanities, maths and a foreign language.
Mike Furbank, head of improvement and learning said: “We are very proud that year after year young people across the East Riding continue to achieve even better GCSE results in our secondary schools in a wide range of qualifications.
“This year results have been published for the English baccalaureate. Schools were not aware of the components of this indicator when they were planning the GCSE courses young people took in 2010 and this does reduce the significance of the measure at this time. It is testament to the quality of curriculum provision that our schools make for their students that they have excelled in an area they were unaware of in 2008 when these young people started their key stage four courses.
“We are a high-performing authority but are not complacent and we continually strive to improve. The performance in the gold standard of 5 or more A*-C grades including English and mathematics, shows that key numeracy and literacy skills continue to thrive alongside other subjects and that we have got the balance right in our secondary schools.
“We are proud of the work done by young people throughout the East Riding with the support of their carers and families. We greatly appreciate the hard work of headteachers and school staff that has contributed to the significant improvements in learners’ results in our schools over the last few years. That they achieve this against a backdrop of poor funding for education is a testament to their determined commitment to their pupils’ achievement.”
Councillor Penny Peacock, portfolio holder for children, young people and schools, said: “These results are tremendous and confirm what we found out in the summer that 2010 was our best year for results so far.
“We must remember that these figures come from thousands of individual successes and the pupils, their families and the school staff should all be congratulated for these impressive results.”
Picture: Eva Lawrence opens her GCSE results at Longcroft School in August – More Pictures
