BRADFORD saw the biggest improvement in GCSE results last year compared to neighbouring authorities.

The Government recently introduced a new measure for school performance - Performance 8.

Rather than rating schools just by the results their pupils get, Progress 8 measures the improvement pupils at a school make in eight subjects from starting secondary school to when they sit their GCSEs.

Recently figures show that in the past year, Bradford’s results improved at a faster rate than any of the 20 closest local authorities.

And Bradford saw the fourth highest improvement rates in the country.

In the national Progress 8 table, Bradford is ranked 54th out of 151 local education authority areas, compared with 118th position for 2016’s results.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

Last year’s progress in Bradford was +0.17. “Average” progress is classed as 0, and second most improved neighbouring authority was Oldham, with +0.14. Leeds saw a +0.13 improvement.

Overall, the top performing school in Bradford in 2017 was Dixons Trinity Academy, and 23 out of 31 schools improved their Progress 8 score.

Bradford schools that saw the biggest improvement last year were Bradford Girls Grammar, followed by Dixons Allerton Academy, Dixons Kings Academy, Feversham School and Hanson School.

The changes make it difficult to compare current results to results before Progress 8 was introduced in 2016.

An analysis of the results was presented to Bradford Council’s Children’s Services Scrutiny Committee earlier this week.

Head of Carlton Bolling School Adrian Kneeshaw had compiled the results, and compared Bradford’s figures to previous years and other authorities.

He said: “When you’re starting behind the national average you have a lot further to go to get the top results, so Progress 8 reflects the situation in Bradford’s schools much better.

“Thirteen per cent of Bradford’s secondary schools fall in the top five per cent nationally, and a lot of Bradford’s schools are in the top 10 per cent.”

Michael Jameson, Strategic Director for Children’s Services, said: “Progress 8 has transformed things for the city. These are very strong results. To improve this month is a very, very laudable performance.”

Mr Kneeshaw said the academy chain in the city that saw the highest Progress 8 scores was Dixons, which has four secondary schools in Bradford. Bottom of the list was the Tauheedul trust, which runs Tong and Laisterdyke.

However, he pointed out that this is partly because chains like Tauheedul take on struggling schools in an attempt to turn them around, while Dixons create new schools.