SCHOOLS across Redditch have continued to outperform the national average for GCSE results despite changes to the exam system.
Although borough high schools have seen a drop in results compared to 2013 following changes to exam rules and league tables, they are still beating the national average for the number of pupils achieving five or more grade A* to C GCSEs of 53 per cent and 55 per cent when English and Maths is included.
The Government has made a number of changes to the way league tables are calculated including banning re-sits and vocational qualifications from counting as well as creating tougher exams.
Despite that Trinity High School recorded 68 per cent of pupils hitting the benchmark, Tudor Grange Academy Redditch 56 per cent and St Augustine’s Catholic High School 62 per cent.
The only school which did not beat the national target was Arrow Vale RSA Academy which recorded a result of 48 per cent.
All schools saw a drop in results of between seven and 16 per cent compared to 2013, but because of the changes officials say they cannot be compared.
Adrian Ward, headteacher of Trinity High School, said it was inevitable the results would go down slightly.
“We are still the top performing school in Redditch which we are very proud of and are in the top five per cent in the county,” he said.
Guy Shears, Principal of RSA Academy Arrow Vale, said in spite of the turmoil caused by the changes, the progress of pupils in English was amongst the highest in the county, while there was strong performance across all subjects.
Tony Quinn, headteacher for St Augustine’s Catholic High School, added the school was ranked 336 in the Sunday Times’ top 500 schools in the UK, while 70 per cent of pupils achieved A* to C grades in English and Maths.
Alcester and Studley schools also ranked above the national average with Alcester Academy scoring a 58 per cent pass rate and Alcester Grammar School achieving 98 per cent.
St Benedict’s Catholic High School was up on 2013, recording 68 per cent, while Studley High School also increased its pass rate to 65 per cent.
