Delight as our GCSE results are above average

8:00am Thursday 31st January 2013 in News

THURROCK schools are performing above the national average for state-funded schools, GCSE results have shown.

School performance figures show Thurrock’s secondary schools are maintaining their position.

The average result for the Thurrock area is 59.4 per cent and the national average for state-funded schools is 59.3 per cent.

Cllr John Kent, leader of Thurrock Council, pictured, said: “Our priority has always been education and improving standards and it is great to see we’re above average for pupils achieving the benchmark figure of five GCSE passes at A* to C including English and maths.”

Boys’ performance fell by two per cent this year, mirroring the national trend, but girls improved their performance slightly.

Mr Kent added: “I would like to pass on my congratulations to all the young people, their teachers and parents who have worked so hard.”

Grays Convent High School saw 63 per cent of their pupils achieve at least five A* to C passes at GCSE, or equivalents, including English and maths.

Headteacher Anne-Marie Brister said the school focuses on GCSE exams rather than vocational courses.

She said: “If you compare just GCSE results, not including equivalents, our school is well above the national average and towards the top of the Thurrock table.

“At Grays Convent we offer a traditional and challenging curriculum with every girl sitting an average of 10 GCSEs.

“I am proud of our pupils and our teachers for the hard work and effort that takes place every day at the convent to achieve these results and we are grateful too for the support of our parents who work in partnership with us to achieve the very best for their daughters.”

Nicola Graham, Harris Academy principal, said: “The results at Harris Academy Chafford Hundred reflect the hard work and dedication of all the staff who work tirelessly to give our students the best opportunities and support.

“They also reflect the hard work of our students who truly deserve their success. We are delighted that many of these students are now able to study in our Sixth Form so that we can maintain our strong relationships with the students and parents, who always support our endeavours.”

Comments(5)

Principal Woodside Academy says...
1:55pm Thu 31 Jan 13

This is another example of complete ignorance of the real situation by a Thurrock council determined to maintain a rosy view of its secondary education. The results Councillor Kent quotes are for 5 GCSEs including “equivalents”. Some of these so called equivalents are based on assessments where a piece of work can be constantly resubmitted and improved, often with considerable teacher help, until it reaches the minimum level. Not surprising these qualifications are increasingly regarded as worthless by employers. The Thurrock average for 5 real GCSEs is 3% below the national average at only 50%. The English Baccalaureate percentage for 5 core academic subjects is a pathetic 10%, not helped by Ormiston’s 0% and Gateway’s 1%. The actual Thurrock figures for real GCSEs are as follows:

Chafford 80%
Grays Convent 63%
William Edwards 60%
Hassenbrooks 60%
St Clere’s 60%
Gable Hall 54%
National Average 53%
Thurock Average 50%
Ockendon 36%
Gateway 32%
Grays School 31%
Ormiston 24%

source DfE website

Well done to Chafford and the Convent and to all the schools above the national average but poor performance by schools further down the list have pulled the borough average down.

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rocket1 says...
5:55pm Thu 31 Jan 13

the exam factory with nice carpets has nice results as well.

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Dave_ says...
10:07pm Thu 31 Jan 13

So every girl at the Convent sits an average of 10 GCSEs, I wouldn't call that education, I'd call that playing the percentages. Which is what I thought when my kids were at school. Even if this figure of 10 includes multi GCSE equivalents, they aren't studied in enough depth.
Maybe I an old git but in my day taking 10 O Levels would have been practically impossible and I was no slouch. But then we didn't have equivalents. One subject = 1 O Level.
But in many respects that was when education was about educating and not scores on the doors.

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Marcus P says...
11:04pm Thu 31 Jan 13

Principal Woodside Academy wrote:
This is another example of complete ignorance of the real situation by a Thurrock council determined to maintain a rosy view of its secondary education. The results Councillor Kent quotes are for 5 GCSEs including “equivalents”. Some of these so called equivalents are based on assessments where a piece of work can be constantly resubmitted and improved, often with considerable teacher help, until it reaches the minimum level. Not surprising these qualifications are increasingly regarded as worthless by employers. The Thurrock average for 5 real GCSEs is 3% below the national average at only 50%. The English Baccalaureate percentage for 5 core academic subjects is a pathetic 10%, not helped by Ormiston’s 0% and Gateway’s 1%. The actual Thurrock figures for real GCSEs are as follows: Chafford 80% Grays Convent 63% William Edwards 60% Hassenbrooks 60% St Clere’s 60% Gable Hall 54% National Average 53% Thurock Average 50% Ockendon 36% Gateway 32% Grays School 31% Ormiston 24% source DfE website Well done to Chafford and the Convent and to all the schools above the national average but poor performance by schools further down the list have pulled the borough average down.
You make some valid points. I notice both Ormiston and the politically favoured Gateway are well below average in terms of students passing 'real' GCSE's. Yet over 77 million pounds of tax payer money has been allocated to these schools for brand new state of the art buildings.

Perhaps parents need to look beyond the shiny new rooms and hotel type reception areas. The quality of education provided is often overlooked by Thurrock parents who favour schools with brand new buildings and good political connections with the local Tory MP.

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Dave_ says...
7:27am Fri 1 Feb 13

When you look at the results for the bottom schools, you need to look at the socio-economic factors of the catchment areas and the potential importance placed on education in these areas, as a result the preparedness and ability of some parents to actually support their children. If I recall correctly Gateway was according to friends who had children there a few years ago, was very much a “sink school”, ie one where all the kids other schools didn’t want, were placed. I don’t know if this is still the case, but if it is then as school they will be urinating into wind. By the way I’m no fan of the Gateway as it’s coming about was via underhand work by the LEA to ensure the original schools were discredited.
When you look at the results you don’t need many from a school year to be disengaged academically in some way and the percentages plummet. It also frustrates me that in the UK any sort of vocational training and qualification is second best. My dad by his own admission was never the most academic and left school at 15, started an apprenticeship and was never out of work. But nowadays someone like my dad would be looked upon as a failure as he wouldn’t get 5 “good” GCSEs and written off.
I think that the Principal of Woodside is placing too much stress on numbers. Hardly surprising given the job title and perpetuates the myth that exam passes or SAT levels are all that matters.
My own children found that what they did extra to school has had as much of an influence in the job market as their exam passes, and their GCSEs and A Levels were all but useless beyond about their 20th birthday. As you progress through life your exam passes mean less and less, which is what frustrates me about these figures and the way politicians leap on them, when they are worthless statistics.

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