Keighley area schools (From Keighley News)

Keighley area schools

8:50am Thursday 21st January 2010

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Schools in the district are relishing a fourth successive year of record GCSE results.

The latest increase in the proportion of pupils gaining top grades is more than the total improvement made in the district in the previous three years.

Bradford district’s performance means it climbs to 137th out of 151 in the national league table of local authorities across England, two places higher than last year.

Last summer, 41.6 per cent of pupils achieved benchmark grades expected by the Government of five A* to C grades, including in English and maths. That is a 4.7 per cent rise on 2008 and more than double the 2.2 per cent improvement nationally.

Across England, 49.8 per cent of candidates gained benchmark grades.

GCSE pupils at South Craven School, at Cross Hills, made it the top performer in the Keighley area.

Greenhead High School, in Keighley, and Parkside, in Cullingworth, were two of a small number of schools which made at least 10 per cent gains in the proportion of their pupils scoring benchmark grades.

The results lifted Greenhead from beneath the Government’s floor target of 30 per cent of pupils getting benchmark grades, with the school’s performance improved from 16 to 33 per cent in four years.

Head teacher Trish McCarthy said: “It’s pleasing for the children because there are more students now with the right qualifications.

“It is testament to the hard work they have put in, with staff, parental and community support.”

The district’s A-level results also improved.

The average points score per candidate was 677.6, up from 671.4.

The district ranks 110th out of 149 local authorities, up one place on 2008 when 147 local authorities held the exams.

Meanwhile, the proportion of pupils persistently absent from the district’s secondary schools last year was 7.1 per cent, compared to 5.9 per cent nationally.

Councillor Michael Kelly, Bradford Council’s executive member for services to children and young people, said: “These exam results show we are improving at a faster rate than the national average but we still need to work together to close the gap on the national average.”

Lesley Hart, Education Bradford’s director of school improvement, said: “We’re delighted with these best-ever GCSE results. Some schools have secured remarkable improvements.”

Cllr Ralph Berry, education spokesman for the council’s Labour group, said: “This is where we should have been several years ago. It shows we can make big strides.”

Cllr David Ward, education spokesman for the council’s Liberal Democrat group, said: “These results continue the general steady improvement of results over the last ten years.”

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