Shropshire schools make the grade with GCSE success

Last year the proportion of top grades fell for the second year running – but Shropshire schools bucked the trend and teachers will be hoping the same will happen this year.

Telford & Wrekin Council, however, said it expected the proportion of pupils who have attained five GCSE passes at grade C or better to be "well above" the national average.

Early analysis of results, however, shows there has been a drop in the proportion passing in certain subjects – notably mathematics.

This has affected the number who achieved the Government-set benchmark of five or more A* to C including English and maths, which has fallen slightly across the borough from 58 per cent last year to 57 per cent this year.

Pupils and teachers at Thomas Telford School were celebrating today after their Telford comprehensive became the first in England to see every one of its year 11 pupils gain five or more GCSEs at A* to C, including English and maths.

Sir Kevin Satchwell, headmaster at Old Park-based Thomas Telford School, said: "Since we hit the national headlines in 2000 as the first all ability school in the country to achieve the Government's original yardstick – which was five or more A* to C passes – our students have come very close to achieving this higher target which includes mathematics and English.

"It seems a fitting tribute to the hard work of our staff and students that we've now actually done it – the first comprehensive to achieve this elusive target with 100 per cent."

"I am delighted for the students who have worked incredibly hard to achieve their potential and am very proud of my staff who have enabled them to do so well."

Thomas Telford School has previously received praise for becoming the first comprehensive school where 100 per cent of pupils achieved five or more GCSEs at A* to C.

At both Newport Girls High and Adams' Grammar, the proportion gaining the top grades of A* or A has also risen.

In Bridgnorth, Oldbury Wells pupils are celebrating school record-breaking results. They beat the previous school record by four per cent with 67 per cent achieving five or more A* to C grades including English and mathematics.

Meanwhile, 53 per cent achieved an A or A* grade and 99 per cent obtained at least five passes overall.

School records were smashed at Newport Girls' High with 45.2 per cent of students gaining A*s at GCSE – a three per cent improvement on last year. All year 11s achieved five or more A* to C grades across all subjects.

Madeley Academy and Abraham Darby Academy have achieved their best results ever.

At Adams Grammar, all pupils passed their GCSEs – gaining grades A* to E – with 81.9 per cent achieving A* or A grades.

Headmaster Michael Barratt said it was the best GCSE performance the school had ever achieved.

Abraham Darby Academy in Madeley, saw the number of its pupils achieving five A* to C grades, including English and mathematics increasing from 61 per cent to 66 per cent. School principal, Steve Hawke, said: "We are very pleased."

Rob Hatch, head of The Grange School, in Shrewsbury, said: "Although the final results are yet to be collated, signs are that The Grange is on course to equal its record results of last year.

"That's some achievement given that last year saw The Grange achieve comfortably its best GCSE results ever."

In 2013 the Grange saw 46 per cent of pupils get A*to C grades

He added: "We are part of Shrewsbury Academies Trust and so we have been able to share teaching resources with Sundorne School, which is also part of the Trust, and I think the system has been of great benefit to both schools.

"It has been an outstanding effort by students and staff alike, and I wish all our leavers this year all the very best wishes for the future."

At Shrewsbury High School for girls, 62.4 per cent of all grades achieved were A*/A.

Headmaster Michael Getty said: 'These stunning results, and the increase in top grades at GCSE that the girls have achieved is incredibly impressive and is all the more overwhelming as it comes so soon after the school established new records with its A level results last week."

He said girls had had particular success at science.

"Over 72 per cent of all grades in biology, physics and chemistry were at A* or A," he said.

"Over 90 per cent of our Latin candidates achieved an A* or A grade which is unparalleled and quite staggering.

"A huge amount of credit goes to our highly skilled teaching staff and we are delighted for all of our girls whose hard work has paid off and of whom we are incredibly proud."

At Adcote School, near Shrewsbury, there was a 100 per cent pass rate, with almost 90 per cent of pupils achieving the eqivalent of five passes at grades A* to C.

Staff at Sir John Talbot School in Whitchurch, which was only taken out of special measures earlier this year, said today they were "proud as punch" of results that have continued to improve.

The number of pupils gaining five or more A* to G grades, including English and Maths, has increased by12 per cent.

The number of A* and A grades has also remained high, teachers have said, although the final figures have yet to be revealed.

Maths, History, Spanish, Photography, Food Technology, PE and ICT all performed well and in 22 subjects all pupils achieved a pass grade.

Forty per cent of pupils who took modern languages achieved an A*– A grade.

David O'Toole, headteacher, said: "We are all celebrating the outstanding achievements of our students today.

"They have worked hard to secure these results and can now use them as a springboard for their next steps."

Meanwhile, Jonathan Foster, principal of Moreton Hall School for girls, Oswestry, said it had recorded one of its best ever sets of results.

Mr Foster said: "We are absolutely delighted with the results we have received this year. Despite gloomy predictions in the press, 30 per cent of the grades achieved by our girls were A* and a record 98 per cent of our pupils have achieved five or more passes at A* to C grade.

"These grades exceed our students' expectations and significantly exceed the national forecasts."

Councillor Ann Hartley, Shropshire Council's Cabinet member for children's services, said: "We would like to congratulate pupils on their success. Their achievements are testament to how diligently they have prepared for their examinations and the hard work that they put in."

• See more on Shropshire's GCSE results in Friday's Shropshire Star

• Shropshire Council can be contacted for general advice and information to support students as they make decisions about their next steps, via www.shropshireyouth.com or by calling 01743 258850.