Exams revamp hits schools’ GCSE results

GCSE results have fallen at seven Oldham schools according to new, tougher league tables.

But the figures don’t tell the true story, since they include only the results of exams sat first and not those from re-sits, even if the latter are better.

The number of vocational subjects counting as GCSE equivalents has also been slashed.

Headteachers argue that the grades with which pupils leave school are the important ones, since they are used for college and university applications. League table results aren’t as important.

Hulme Grammar School tops the table in Oldham with 92 per cent of pupils leaving school with at least five A* to C grades, including English and maths. Crompton House was the best state school with 76 per cent, followed closely by North Chadderton on 75 per cent.

The biggest increases were at Crompton House, whose 2013 figures had been affected by a dip in English; and Hathershaw. Results at both were up by eight percentage points.

Crompton House head teacher Karl Newell said: “Students and staff worked incredibly hard and the improvements that we experienced were well deserved.”

Hathershaw principal Dave McEntee added: “With 2015 being our 60th anniversary, we couldn’t have got the year off to a better start!”

At the other end of the table, Waterhead Academy saw only 33 per cent of pupils leaving school with five good GCSEs, down from 45 per cent in 2013.

New principal Colette Macklin said: “The tables report pupils’ first GCSE grade and not their best GCSE grade. Last summer, 44 per cent of our pupils got five good grades and this is a considerable improvement on the combined results of the predecessor schools. Our results will be significantly higher in 2015.”

The figure of 37 per cent for Oasis Academy Oldham is the second lowest. Results there fell by 13 per percentage points. But the biggest drop was at Royton and Crompton school, where results plummeted from 63 per cent to 42 per cent.

Head teacher Kevin O’Hagan said: “The league tables do not represent a true picture. Detailed analysis of our results shows a much-improved picture compared to the published tables.”

Other schools at which results fell were Failsworth, Hulme, Radclyffe and Saddleworth.

Saddleworth head teacher Matthew Milburn said: “Ofsted made it clear that the 2014 results should not be compared to those in previous years. The goalposts have changed significantly and schools are about an awful lot more than league tables.”

Overall, 52.4 per cent of Oldham pupils got five good GCSE grades, not including re-sits, down from 57 per cent. Oldham Academy North has the highest value added figure, which measurers pupils progress, while Blue Coat was the top performing sixth form.