Mixed results in Midlands school league tables

There were mixed results for West Midlands schools as the national league tables for A-level and GCSE results were published today.

It comes as the national league tables show thousands of pupils across the country are still failing to get good GCSE results.

Wolverhampton shot up the national league tables today after schools across the city recorded improved GCSE and A-level results.

It means Wolverhampton is now ranked 77 nationally – 28 places higher than its ranking at 105 in 2010.

Meanwhile students taking their A-levels scored an average of 690.2 points, up from 642.6 the previous year.

Wolverhampton climbed 27 places up the A-level league table from 137 to 110.

Councillor Phil Page, cabinet member for schools, said the results "deserve to be celebrated".

Wolverhampton Girls' High, in Tettenhall Road, was identified as the best school for both its GCSE and A-level results.

Headteacher Julie Lawton said: "It's fantastic to be named best in Wolverhampton."

All 107 pupils passed their exams, gaining A* to C grades.

Walsall climbed the national league table rankings after pupils achieved better GCSE results but slipped several places at A-level, it was revealed today.

Walsall fell 14 places from 130 to 144 in the A-level tables, according to the statistics released by the Department for Education.

Pupils achieved an average points score of 622.6 last year compared to 650.5 in 2010.

But at GCSE level, Walsall saw much better results. A total of 56.3 per cent gained at least five A* to C grades compared to 49.5 per cent the previous year.

The improved results moved Walsall 27 places up the league tables from 131 to 104. Cabinet member for children's services, Councillor Rachel Andrew, said the results reflected the "hard work taking place in our schools every day".

St Thomas More Catholic School in Willenhall was named as one of the top 200 most improved schools across the country for its GCSE results.

In 2008, 37 per cent of pupils scored five A* to C-grades including English and maths compared to 57 per cent last year. Dave Smith, senior assistant headteacher at the Darlaston Lane school, said: "We are highly delighted to be in the top 200 most improved schools.

"This reflects all the hard work of staff and students and we are working hard to ensure we continue this improvement."

Schools in Dudley slipped down the national rankings for both GCSEs and A-levels today – but remained the best-performing in the Black Country.

Dudley's GCSE marks actually improved, with 58.5 per cent of pupils achieving five A* to C grades including English and maths last year. In 2010, the figure was 56.4 per cent.

Despite this, the borough still fell 16 places from 51 to 67 in the national table after being leapfrogged by better performing local authorities in other parts of the country.

When it comes to A-levels, pupils did just as well as they did in 2010, scoring an average of 741.7 points for the second year running. But again the borough dropped down the national rankings from 46 to 49.

Dudley councillor Liz Walker, cabinet member for education, said she was pleased with the latest results for schools in the borough.

"Our schools have performed well and these results show the quality of the education being received is very good," she said.

It was another good year for Old Swinford Hospital School in Stourbridge, finishing top of the pile for its GCSE results, while King Edward VI College in Stourbridge was the highest achiever at A-level.

However, Councillor Walker said there was still room for improvement and headteachers would now be striving for bigger and better things.

Schools in Staffordshire plummeted 15 places in national league tables despite pupils performing better in exams, it was revealed today.

Nationally, the tables revealed thousands of pupils are still failing to get good GCSE results after being let down by under-performing schools.

Pupils in Sandwell achieved the borough's best ever GCSE results but A-level results in the borough were down.

Sandwell climbed nine places in the national rankings at GCSE after the improved results.

The borough leapt from 147 to 138th place after 50 per cent of pupils gained five A* to C-grades in their GCSEs including English and maths in 2011.

This compares to 43.6 per cent in 2010, according to the data released by the Department for Education.

Sandwell's cabinet member for children, Councillor Bob Badham, said the results were "fantastic".

At A-level, the borough slipped one place from 145 to 146 out of a total of 151 local authorities.

In their exams, pupils in Sandwell scored an average 622.6 points in 2011, down from 650.5 in 2010.

Sandwell Academy in West Bromwich achieved the best GCSE results after 73 per cent of pupils gained five A* to C-grades including English and maths.

It also achieved the best A-level results across the borough, with pupils scoring an average of 881.3 points.

In Staffordshire, a total of 56.5 per cent of its students gained at least five A* to C GCSE grades including English and maths last year, up from 54 per cent in 2010.

But the county dropped from 86 to 101th place.

The figures from the Department for Education also reveals A-level results in Staffordshire were better in 2011. The average points score per pupil was 714.8, up from 699.1.

As a result, Staffordshire climbed from 95 to 78 in the A-levels tables.

Staffordshire education boss, Councillor Liz Staples ,said today: "Our priority is improving the performance of Staffordshire schools, which is clearly happening given the year-on-year increase we have seen in results."

Nationally, the number of pupils gaining five A* to C grades in their GCSEs, including English and maths, increased from 53.5 per cent to 58.9 per cent.

Stafford Grammar School achieved the best GCSE results, with every single pupil gaining five A* to C-grades.

Meanwhile Chase Academy came top for A-level results. Pupils there scored an average of 1135.7 points in their exams.

Nationally, the number of pupils gaining five A* to C grades in their GCSEs, including English and maths, increased from 53.5 per cent to 58.9 per cent.

But the data also shows 107 secondary schools in England did not reach tough Government targets for GCSEs that were set in a bid to raise standards.

Schools that fail to meet the strict thresholds have been warned they are at risk of closure or being taken over if they do not improve.

Around 8,600 pupils, or 4.9 per cent, across the country who were excelling at the end of primary school then failed to gain five A* to C GCSE grades including English and maths.

The Department for Education data covers England's more than 5,000 secondary schools.

Nationally, 158 schools saw 100 per cent of their pupils getting five A* to C grades at GCSE or equivalent, including maths and English.

By Education Reporter Laura Blyth