Best ever results for Shropshire's secondary schools

Shropshire’s secondary schools are celebrating record results as the national performance tables are published today (Thursday).

The number of pupils achieving more than five A*-C grades is the best ever (66.6%). The number of pupils gaining more than five A*-C grades, including English and mathematics, is also the best ever (53.3%). And the increases in these figures are the biggest in the past five years.

John Rowley, Principal School Improvement Adviser, said: “Compared to our statistical neighbours (Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Somerset, Suffolk, Wiltshire and Worcestershire), Shropshire is likely to be ranked either first or second on all the main indicators. Nationally, Shropshire is ranked within the top 25 of the 149 councils on each indicator, which represents secure top quartile performance.

“We have continued to perform exceptionally well on those measures which indicate social inclusion. The proportion of pupils who leave school with at least one GSCE qualification has continued to rise to 98.8 per cent, which means that only around 40 pupils, out of just over 3,500, left Shropshire schools without a qualification in 2007.”

Councillor Ann Hartley, Shropshire County Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services, said: “The standard of achievement in Shropshire schools remains very high and I am delighted with these results. As always, the outstanding results reflect the hard work of the pupils, but also of all those who support them, including parents, teachers, headteachers, governors and council staff. My congratulations go to everyone involved.”

10 January 2008