‘Pupils working harder than ever’

GCSE RESULTS
BRAINY pupils in Oldham have boosted the borough’s overall GCSE attainment following a results hike for the 11th consecutive year.

Early analysis of this year’s GCSE results suggest that 88 per cent pupils at council-maintained schools got five or more GCSEs graded A* - C, up 6.6 per cent on last year.

The number of students obtaining five or more GCSEs, including English and maths, also appeared to have jumped 3.4 per cent from 2010, up to 59.6 per cent.

Councillor Hugh McDonald, Cabinet member for children, young people and families, congratulated hard-working students across the borough.

He said: “This year’s results also feature the new academies — Oldham Academy North, Waterhead Academy and the Oasis Academy — which opened their doors for the first time last September and, although our data set for them is not yet complete, they appear to have performed well.

“Cynics may say these continued improvements are because exams are getting easier, but I think what it actually shows it that our students — supported by the dedication of fantastic teaching and school support staff — are simply working harder than ever.

“These results represent exciting new opportunities for young people, whether that is in vocational training, further education or full-time employment, and I wish them every success with whatever future path they choose.”

Across the country, the battle of the sexes showed girls storming ahead of boys yet again for top GCSE grades.

Over a quarter of all girls (26.5 per cent) scooped grades of A* or A in their GCSE exams while just under a fifth of all boys (19.6 per cent) managed the same.

This meant the gap between the sexes widened from 5.7 percentage points last year to 6.7 per cent this year.

Results also showed there were more A* and A grades awarded this year, a total of 23.2 per cent of entries compared to 22.6 per cent last year.

Numbers of students taking individual science subjects also increased this year but there was a fall in pupils taking exams in history, geography and modern languages.

The government has brought in a measure to reverse that trend — called the English Baccalaureate. It recognises that a student has achieved an A* to C grade pass in five key subjects — maths, English, a language, two sciences and either geography or history.

Schools Minister Nick Gibb said: “We need to build an education system that ensures every child gets the opportunity to succeed. While it is encouraging to see the rising uptake in maths and sciences, it is worrying that there are falling numbers studying languages.

“Through the English Baccalaureate, we want to make sure pupils have the chance to study the core subjects which universities and employers demand.”