Staff and pupils at a Black Country secondary are feeling justifiably proud today after emerging as the most improved school in the country in the national GCSE results.
The success of Heath Park Business and Enterprise College in Wolverhampton mirrors a significant improvement in results across the region with Dudley, Walsall and Sandwell also showing great strides forward in their GCSEs.
Heath Park is ranked top of the pile after consecutive improvements over the last three years, based on five or more A*-C grades including English and maths.
It has taken the benchmark figure from just 28 per cent in 2005 to 63 per cent last year.
Sandwell’s improvement has seen it continue to rise among all 150 local authorities, from 142nd in 2004 to 127th, based on pupils achieving at least five GCSEs in any subject. With English and maths included the figure rises from 30.2 to 31.5 per cent.
Cabinet member for children and young people, Coun Ian Jones, said: “Many of our schools have concentrated their efforts on raising attainment in English and maths and schools are continuing to set challenging targets.”
Key: a = % of school's pupils who achieved % GCSEs at A* to C including Maths and English in 2007; b = % of school's pupils who achieved % GCSEs at A* to C including Maths and English in 2008, c = % of school's pupils who achieved % GCSEs at A* to C in any subjects 2007; d = % of school's pupils who achieved % GCSEs at A* to C in any subject in 2008
