How do you judge this school's results?

[springiscoming16]

GCSE Results 2015

90% of all students attained A*-C grades in Maths
91% attained A*-C grades in English
95% of all students attained A*-C in Science
1/3 of all GCSE grades in Maths were an A*/A grade
3 levels of Progress in English: 87% and 4 levels of Progress: 38%
3 levels of Progress in Maths: 85% and 4 levels of Progress: 45%
1/2 of all GCSE grades in Biology were an A*/A grade
1/2 of all GCSE grades in Physics were an A*/A grade
3/4 or all GCSE grades in Chemistry were an A*/A grade
7 students made 5 levels of Progress in Science!
81.3% of students attained 5 A*-C grades including English and Maths (a 9% increase from 2014)
Close to 1/4 of all grades at GCSE was an A* or A.
Our highest performer secured 12 A grades and the second highest performer secured 11A grades.


A Level & BTEC Results 2015

26% of all grades at A level were an A*/A grade (an increase of 10% from 2014 to 2015)
Including BTEC qualifications, 37% of grades awarded were A-A/Distinction-Distinction
In Maths, 3 out of every 4 grades were an A*/A grade
One student secured 100% in all of his A level modules!
50% of all A Level grades awarded were A-B (54% A-B including BTEC's)
82% of all A level grades were A-C (84% A-C including BTEC's)
99% of all A level grades were A*-E
A Level ALPs 'Outstanding/Excellent': Maths, History, Geography, Economics, Business Studies, Music, Art, Media.
A Level ALPs 'Very Good': Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Psychology
A Level ALPs 'Good': Classics, Physical Education
93% of students have secured a place at University

[albazavi]

*their

[Ladymuck]

Why do you assume that 4LOP is from the "top end"?

[NicknameUsed]

3 levels of progress is expected progress so how can you say that the pupils are being stretched? DD's school tries to get 5 levels of progress where possible.

[Exposition]

Indeed, for children entering with KS2 Level 5, 3LoP is not at all good enough.

[bojorojo]

Would it be possible for some pupils not to be entered for Maths or English so the 90% refers to those who were entered for the exams? Odd though.

[Balletgirlmum]

Xxxxxxx is a highly aspirational school and is not for the faint-hearted. We believe in ‘High Expectations’, ‘No Excuses’ and ‘No Islands’, these guide our actions, underpinning all we do. We expect high standards from our staff and students, and believe that through developing the character trait of ‘perseverance’ we can all achieve beyond our expectations. To this end we adopt an unequivocal stance in implementing our standards and expect parents/carers will work with us to secure the best possible outcomes for their children.

Interesting quote from their website

They have however won an award for the progress their pupil premium students make.

"

[PonderingProsecco]

Found school from quote above.
School with generally advantaged intake. Flipping well should do well!

[BertrandRussell]

13 low achieving pupils in the 2014 cohort. 13!

Thwt's what backdoor selection does for you!

[AChickenCalledKorma]

I don't think I would choose a school that describes itself as "not for the faint hearted". What does it offer children who are nervous, quiet or struggling?

[NicknameUsed]

"Would it be possible for some pupils not to be entered for Maths or English so the 90% refers to those who were entered for the exams? Odd though."

I very much doubt it unless there were extenuating circumstances. Maths and English GCSEs are key to everything these days.

[CalypsoValdez]

How many GSCEs does the average pupil sit? If it's genuinely non-selective I'd want to look at whether it's a school that stops pupils taking subjects if there's a risk it will reflect badly on their league table results. I know a few schools that won't let you take a subject unless they're sure you'll get at least a C. Hard for borderline pupils who want to try and are willing to work.

[BertrandRussell]

Middle attainers just over 9- high attainers just over 10.

It's a back door selective.

[BertrandRussell]

" I know a few schools that won't let you take a subject unless they're sure you'll get at least a C. Hard for borderline pupils who want to try and are willing to work."

How do they get away with that?

[NicknameUsed]

They wouldn't do that at DD's school. The lower attainers do Btechs or foundation papers. They aren't allowed to drop a subject.

[NicknameUsed]

Just checked with DD. Some students did drop Citizenship apparently.

[sandyholme]

Schools like this one : Parmiters, Dame Alice Owen , Herts/Essex High E.TC should just be allowed to become grammar schools ! They should not have to pretend to be comprehensive schools to fulfil legal requirements. The legal restrictions placed on these schools about who and how they select pupils is daft.

They should be left alone to be 'fully' selective in a (transparant) way I.E by only using an Exam to decide on their pupils. The ways they use to select some of their pupils would do the CIA JUSTICE !

[BertrandRussell]

No they shouldn't. They should be forced to be properly comprehensive by introducing fair banding or lottery based admissions procedures.

[BertrandRussell]

There are only Foundation papers in some subjects and they still count as GCSEs in the school stats.

[AChickenCalledKorma]

The school near us that has a very similar ethos requires a certain performance in year 9 exams to be allowed to do certain subjects at GCSE. Last time I looked in detail at their results NO-ONE got less than a C in any subject. That is so implausible as to make me suspicious about how they tick the league table boxes.

I feel for the students who are presumably "encouraged" to do fewer/easier options rather than have a go at something they are a bit borderline in. What about the late-developers? What about the people that just find something really, really interesting even if they aren't brilliant at it? What about a well-rounded education that encourages you to "persevere" even if you aren't going to get the magic grade?

[PonderingProsecco]

Agree with BertrandRussell. We have a comp near us which is trying, with some success, to make itself the grammar school of the area.
Its tactics border on the underhand even if legal....
I do not want our community divided by grammar and secondary modern type schools. I hope very much the aspiring grammar near us [in all but name] is forced to become more inclusive and less bloody sly and seedy in its approach. Makes me angry!

[Exposition]

Bertrand- I think that foundation level has gone now, with new GCSEs.
Regarding how schools can get away with not entering those that would gain below a C, well from this year they no longer can. The measure of success is solely Progress8, and pupils need enough subjects in their 8 slots, otherwise the school will be penalised. Only a few BTECs now count in progress8 too.

It's a great shame that the new performance tables do not show the KS2 APS any longer for the cohort.

[bojorojo]

Even in a selective county there are 1st tier grammar schools and those that fill up from appeals. The secondary moderns most definitely have a pecking order. There is a far bigger problem for parents in being allocated a poor secondary school and this is where the great division lies. A few of the secondaries are better then many comprehensives even though the grammar stream are missing. The biggest problem is about ensuring all schools are good and stay that way. It has never been achieved here and that is very divisive and agitates parents more than the selective system.

[springiscoming16]

I can confirm that This school is not selective and actually it is surrounded by many grammar schools. Hence I am tempted to think that the most academic children go to the grammar schools and not here.

[BertrandRussell]

Well, it is de facto selective in that it's a church school.

Where do the lower ability cohort go to school?

[springiscoming16]

Making you Catholic does not make you intelligent, I can assure you....
And I am Catholic...