GCSE results at Bradford's secondary schools are still "unacceptable," according to local politicians, despite a slight rise in the latest results.
The Department for Education (DfE) has today released GCSE and A-level league tables which include every secondary school in the country.
In 2015, Bradford was ranked joint second from bottom in the national rankings. This year it has moved up the table, to fourth from bottom.
Exam results have also improved. Last year 44 per cent of GCSE pupils gained at least five A*- C grades, including English and maths, which is the target set by the government. In the latest exams, sat in summer 2015, that figure was 45.5 per cent.
Although the rise has been welcomed, representatives of all political parties agree results need to improve faster.
This year is the last time schools will be judged on GCSE results alone. From next year ‘Progress 8’ will measure pupils’ progress across eight subjects from age 11 to 16.
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council’s executive member for education, said: "We all know that the results last summer were not where they needed to be so the league tables…do not come as a surprise.
"Although there was a slight improvement in results, it was clear then, as it is now, that progress needs to be accelerated. The key thing is to focus on implementing our school improvement plan with pace."
Michael Jameson, the authority’s strategic director of Children’s Services, said: “I congratulate students and school staff who have worked extremely hard but there has to be much more rapid progress to build on these results."
Shipley MP Philip Davies (Con) said he thought teachers and pupils had never worked as hard as they were at the moment.
“I am pleased that Bradford is a bit higher, but it is still completely unacceptable where we are, and there is still a huge disparity between results at the different schools,” he added.
Mr Davies has invited Schools Minister Nick Gibb to visit the district next month and said he would raise the results issue during the visit.
Bradford West MP Naz Shah (Lab) said: “Although the slight increase in attainment and Bradford’s position in the league tables are both welcome, I nevertheless believe that we as a city should and can to a lot better for our district's children.
"I will continue to meet ministers and local leaders to help drive improvement and advocate for more resources to meet the shortage and increasing demand for school places”
Keighley MP Kris Hopkins (Con) said it would be “churlish” not to welcome the slight improvement.
“But our children are still being failed,” he added.
"The present day Labour Group are letting down head teachers, teaching staff and pupils right across the district. They need to up their game, and fast.”
Bradford East MP Imran Hussain (Lab) said: “I know that there is still much more work that needs to be done in helping to deliver better educational attainment in Bradford.”
But Bradford South MP Judith Cummins (Lab) was stronger in her criticism saying the GCSE performance was “simply not good enough and still languishing near the bottom of the league rankings.”
“We can’t stand by and let our young people be left behind and their life chances damaged,” she added.
Councillor Debbie Davies, Conservative spokesman for education on Bradford Council, said: "Any improvement, however small, needs to be welcomed. We were never going to hear that Bradford has jumped up 100 places in one year. My main worry is the number of schools that seem to be below floor standards."
Liberal Democrat spokesman Councillor Jeanette Sunderland added: "It is still disappointing that we are still languishing at the bottom of league tables. What is really worrying is the refusal of senior leaders in the council to think about things any differently."
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The new results show Bradford Girls' Grammar School was the best performing in the district, with 76 per cent of pupils achieving five or more A* - C GCSE grades, including maths and English.
The school was also ranked in the top position last year.
Ilkley Grammar School was second, also with 76 per cent, but with a slightly lower points score per pupil.
Eternal Light Secondary School in Little Horton was third with 72 per cent, Dixons City Academy fourth with 66 per cent and Immanuel College fifth with 65 per cent.
Bradford Girls' Grammar School pupil head teacher Kathryn Matthews said: "The school is very pleased that all the girls’ hard work has been recognised in these results."
A number of schools in the district failed to reach the government's "floor standards," which require that at least 40 per cent pupils gain at least five C grades at GCSE, including English and maths.
Those schools were Oasis Academy Lister Park, Hanson School, Laisterdyke Business and Enterprise College, Tong High School, Bradford Studio School and University Academy Keighley, which was the lowest ranked school that had more than 50 pupils sit their GCSEs. Just 16 per cent of pupils achieved the government set targets in their exams last year.
Several of these schools are facing a major shake-up in the coming few months. Both Laisterdyke and Tong schools are being taken over by the Tauheedul Education Trust, while University Academy Keighley and Hanson School are preparing to become part of the Wakefield City Academies Trust. Bradford Studio School will close in July after numbers of students signing up for the vocational school dwindled in recent years.
However, a recent change in government policies has meant that one of Yorkshire's best performing schools ended up at the bottom of the table. Bradford Grammar School came in at 37th, with the table saying no pupils achieved the target GCSE levels.
The result is down to a DfE decision to ignore some results, including the international GCSEs sat at the school.
Head teacher Simon Hinchliffe said: "Last summer Bradford Grammar School scored some of the best GCSE results of recent years with a 100 per cent pass rate, 73 per cent of all grades at A/A* of which 44 per cent were at A* and ten pupils achieved a clean sweep of ten A*s.
"It is a pity that once again the government has failed to acknowledge the effort and attainment of pupils in their controversial league tables. Our students sit IGCSE examinations in a number of subjects, including English and Maths.
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"These examinations were developed by Cambridge University, one of the world’s top Universities; they are studied in over 120 countries including Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore; they are rigorous and an excellent preparation for A-levels.
"Despite those facts the current Government deems them unsuitable for inclusion in its league tables.
"Everyone apart from the government knows that these tables are not an accurate reflection of academic performance; they do not enable parents to make informed decisions based upon accurate data and grossly misrepresent pupils’ achievements."
The tables also include schools performance in A-levels and vocational courses. The highest ranked school for A-levels and International Baccalaureate is Ilkley Grammar, while the highest for vocational courses in Beckfoot School in Bingley.
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