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Original poster

Concerned about potential new school’s GCSE results

31 replies

cst1983 · 30/01/2025 11:50

It looks like we are going to have to move during the next year due to DH’s job. For the area that we are looking at the catchment school results don’t look great to me but both DC do well at school and DH is of the opinion that bright children will do well anywhere, the results aren’t actually that bad, and I’m worrying about nothing.

The school’s 2024 GCSE results;

Progress 8 score: 0.73
Grade 5 or above in English & Maths: 25.2%
Grade 4 or above in English & Maths: 45.5%

Am I worrying unnecessarily?

OP posts:
PokerFriedDips · 30/01/2025 12:13

It's clear from those stats that a bright child will not "do well anywhere" if previous high achievers (ie those who got top marks on SATs at the end of primary school are typically only 50:50 likely to get decent grades at maths & english then that is a terrible school. I'd be doing whatever it takes including squeezing the family into a 1-bed flat to avoid such a school.

pinkroses79 · 30/01/2025 12:12

Some children can do well anywhere but I think they have to have the drive to do it on their own. If they are distracted by their friends and follow the peer group then they might not achieve their potential. I wouldn’t personally choose to send my children there.

Stillplodding · 30/01/2025 12:07

That would be a hard no from me.

I’d be looking at any other possible options. Ultimately I’d move house (in your situation not move to that catchment), and have done to ensure a decent school.

Octavia64 · 30/01/2025 12:06

That's a really bad P8.

Look at the ofsted report.

reports.ofsted.gov.uk

Look at what it says about behaviour. Your DH might be if the opinion bright children do well anywhere (he is wrong by the way) but if the report talks about violence, vaping and knives it's possible he might change his mind.

Original poster
cst1983 · 30/01/2025 12:02

Correction, the progress score was -0.73 (I missed off the minus) but I can’t edit my original post.

Also, looking further into it, for the results for “High” achievers at entry (23 out of 143), the grades at 4/5 are better but the P8 score is worse -

Progress 8 score: -1.31
Grade 5 or above in English & Maths: 52.2%
Grade 4 or above in English & Maths: 82.6%

OP posts:
twistyizzy · 30/01/2025 11:55

The "bright child will do well anywhere" is a misnomer. They may do OK but it's unlikely they will achieve their full potential if they are in a school where teachers are spending majority of lessons managing behaviour rather than teaching.

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