Failsworth happy — but Hulme query figures

ON THE UP . . . Delighted Failsworth School head John Meagher with pupils (from the left) Leah Winstanley, Jake Smith, Wiliam, McCullam, Chelsea Seale, Amy Moss, Oliver Phythian, Neave Hesling.

FAILSWORTH is one of the country’s 100 most improved schools after chalking up record GCSE results.

The number of pupils achieving the gold standard of at least five A* to C grades, including English and maths, has jumped from 29 per cent in 2007 to 51 per cent.

Only schools which have improved their results for four years in a row are included in today’s league table.

The percentage of Failsworth pupils gaining five top grades, excluding English and maths, was 85.

Delighted head teacher John Meagher said the results had exceeded expectations and targets.

Fantastic
He added: “Following on from our very successful Ofsted inspection in June, it is fantastic to see the hard work and efforts of both the students and staff rewarded by our best ever results.

“Results at the school have improved year on year for a number of years, testimony to the fact that the school is always looking to make changes to enable us to offer the best opportunities.

“I look forward to an even brighter future as we continue to build upon the firm foundations laid by our record-breaking students.”

Crompton House is the borough’s top state school for A* to C grades, including English and maths, at 78 per cent.

It is also in the country’s top 200 state schools for A-level results with Blue Coat.

Crompton House deputy head teacher Jim Upton said: “We are very pleased with the results. The pupils worked really hard and the staff put a lot of time into the children.”

However, Hulme Grammar School says its published results are wrong. These are the first set of results where the separate boys and girls schools are treated as one school but Hulme believes that only the boys’ results, before any successful appeals, have been included in the statistics.

But it still manages to top Oldham’s GCSE league table and principal Dr Paul Neeson said: “The results are going to be considerably higher.”

Nationally, Oldham is 107th out of 150 local authorities for its GCSE results, jumping to 57th for A-level results.

The five schools replaced by three academies in September — Breeze Hill, Counthill, Grange, Kaskenmoor, and South Chadderton — all went out on a high.

Breeze Hill has the borough’s biggest one-year rise in results while Counthill is one of the country top 100 schools for its value-added score, which measurers pupils’ progress. However, Kaskenmoor’s results, including English and maths, are still among the worst 200 in the country.

Radclyffe has the borough’s second highest value-added score and head teacher Hardial Hayer said: “It reflects the progress our children make from the time they join us from primary school to the time they leave us. Well done to all the students parents and staff.

“It is a reflection of our outstanding curriculum. If you get the teaching and learning right the value added really looks after itself.”


FULL table: tonight’s Evening Chronicle or online in the E-Chron (subscription required)