New league tables show that three Bradford schools are 'under performing'

The first set of official results using measures that show how much progress pupils make in secondary school were released this morning, and show that three Bradford schools are “under performing.”

In last summer’s exams, Grange Technology College, Hanson School and Tong High School recorded results that fall below government standards.

The newly released figures for Key Stage 4 (GCSE) show that while Bradford still remains near the bottom of national league tables for results, it performs better in the new “Performance 8” measure that the government will now use to judge schools.

This measure looks at the progress a pupil makes from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school.

In recent years schools have been ranked based on how many of their pupils achieve five A* - C grades at GCSE, including English and maths.

As well as the Progress 8 measure, this year results also include an average “attainment 8” scores per pupil. This measures the achievement of a pupil across 8 qualifications including mathematics and English, which are double-weighted, three further qualifications that count in the English Baccalaureate measure and three other qualifications that can be GCSEs or any equivalent qualification.

In this measure, Bradford ranks as sixth from bottom out of all local authorities in the country, with an average score per pupil of 45.7.

In the new Progress 8 measure, a positive figure shows above average pupil improvement, while a negative figure shows a below average level of improvement. The average Progress 8 measure for Bradford is -0.15. This puts it in the bottom third of the national rankings, but still performing better than 29 other local authorities, including Nottingham and Cumbria.

Some of the schools that performed best in Progress 8 were in some of the most deprived areas of the district.

Dixons Kings Academy in Lidget Green achieved 0.47 in the first year GCSEs were sat at the free school.

Head Neil Miley said: I think Progress 8 is a very fair measure that allows everyone to see the hard work that goes on on a daily basis in Bradford schools.

“Sometimes getting a pupil to progress from a low starting point when they start school up to a D or E can be just as hard as getting a pupil from a higher starting point to an A.”

Carlton Bolling College, which only came out of special measures in 2015, had a 0.24 score, one of the highest in Bradford.

Headteacher Adrian Kneeshaw said: “I am delighted for our students to be able to report on their successes and we are looking to the future with immense excitement."  

The top scorer in the district was Feversham Girl’s School, with 0.64.

Head Clare Skelding said: "Our progress measures for 2016 mean we are one of the highest achieving schools in the country.

"Students have achieved well deserved results in an ever changing educational landscape.

"Outcomes at Feversham College demonstrate the continued dedication, support and commitment of Governors, staff, parents and students to do well."

When it comes to the three schools deemed failing, Hanson School had a Progress 8 score of -0.87, Tong School had -0.70 and Grange Technology College had a score of -0.63.

Bradford Council is in the process of finding an academy sponsor to take on Hanson, Tong became an academy under the Tauheedul Education Trust last year, and Grange recently introduced a major school improvement plan after being placed in special measures last summer.

A spokesperson for Tauheedul Education Trust said: “We became sponsor of the school last month.  There are no quick fixes in school improvement but we are committed to delivering first-class education and progress is already being made.  We are confident that our work will lead to sustained improvement in the years to come.”

Alison Mander, Acting Headteacher at Grange Technology College said: “It is disappointing for everyone connected with Grange to be considered as an underperforming school but last year’s results and the subsequent Ofsted inspection in May 2016 speak for themselves. 

"We are under no illusions about the challenge we face to make Grange great again.  However, this is a time of great opportunity for the school to restore its reputation by doing things differently and better. 

"Under new leadership, we are already on that journey with a rigorous improvement plan in place to achieve our aim of being rated ‘good’ by Ofsted in two years’ time. 

"This plan was approved by Her Majesty’s Inspectors when they returned to the school for their first monitoring visit in November 2016 and we continue to work in a very focused way to improve what we offer our students and their families to make Grange the school they all deserve.”

Ilkley Grammar School comes top for the achievement 8 measure, with an average pupil score of 60.1, and 86 per cent of its pupils getting an A* - C grade in English and maths.

Bradford’s three under performing schools means that 12.5 per cent of the authority’s 24 secondary schools fall below government standards.

For A Level results Bradford Grammar School was the best performer in the district, with an average point score of 42.06, and an average grade of B+.

Coun Imran Khan, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Education said: “We welcome the fact that this year’s league tables put more emphasis on the progress that pupils are making during secondary school.

“We believe this is a fairer way of measuring the impact schools are having and means that this year Bradford schools are deservedly being given more credit in the league tables for the progress they make with their pupils.

“The Progress 8 figures show that Bradford’s ranking in a table of local authorities is significantly higher than in previous years measuring pupils’ GCSE performance. The figures also show that almost 90 per cent of Bradford schools are above the Government’s floor targets for progress being made.

“Where schools need to improve we work to support and challenge them and we are also working with the Government’s Regional Schools Commissioner because we want to ensure that academies in Bradford are supported by strong sponsors who can drive improvements.

“We know what is most important is not league tables rankings but that our young people leave education with the qualifications and skills they need to be able to thrive. We recognise that more needs to be done to ensure the number of Bradford pupils succeeding at GCSE and beyond increases.

“However today’s league tables show progress is being made here too. The proportion of pupils achieving five A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and maths, improved in Bradford in 2016 compared with the previous year while nationally it declined so we are closing the gap with the national average.”

Councillor Debbie Davies, Conservative spokesman for education, said: “I think it is a good change, final results don’t always tell the whole story on how pupils progress.

“I think it will give parents a bit more confidence that good work is going on in schools, even if they don’t get the top results."

KEY

Left to right, after the name and type of school, the columns show:

A. The number of pupils eligible for GCSE and equivalent qualifications. This is defined as the number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4, which usually means all pupils in Year 11.

B. Number of pupils included in Progress 8 measure.

C. Progress 8 measure. The new Progress 8 measure looks at the progress a pupil makes from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school. It is a value added measure, which compares pupils' results with the achievements of other pupils that have the same prior attainment. It measures performance across eight qualifications.

D. Average attainment 8 score per pupil. This measures the achievement of a pupil across 8 qualifications including mathematics and English, which are double-weighted, three further qualifications that count in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) measure and three other qualifications that can be GCSEs or any other approved equivalent qualification.

E. Percentage of pupils achieving A*-C in both English and mathematics.

F. Percentage of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate. Pupils achieve the EBacc if they gain at least a C in GCSE maths, English, science, history or geography and a language.

KEY STAGE 5: A-levels and equivalent qualifications.

G. Average point score per academic entry. Academic qualifications include A-levels as well as other academic qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

H. Average point score per academic entry expressed as a grade.

I. Average point score per tech level entry. Technical qualifications include a number of Level 3 (advanced) qualifications for students wishing to specialize in a technical occupation or occupational group (for example, this includes City & Guilds Level 3 Diploma Qualifications)

J. Average point score per tech level entry expressed as a grade.

K. Average point score per applied general entry qualification. These qualifications include, for example some Pearson BTEC Level 3 courses.

L. Average point score per applied general entry expressed as a grade.

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