25pc of schools failing pupils
One in four schools and colleges are failing to produce any students with grades high enough to help them get a leading university place, school league tables revealed today.
There were mixed emotions among education bosses in the Black Country, with some local authorities falling down the rankings with some recording worse GCSE results.
Nationally 195 schools in England, collectively teaching around 167,000 children, fell below the Government's new floor target for secondaries, figures showed.
That meant that less than 40 per cent of their pupils gained at least five GCSEs at grade C or higher, including English and maths, and students did not make good enough progress in these two core subjects.
In the Black Country, Wolverhampton, Walsall and Dudley all recorded worse GCSE results. Sandwell however bucked the trend with its best-ever results.
According to the league tables released today, Walsall borough's ranking among other local authorities dropped eight places, while the overall percentage of pupils gaining 5 A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent fell from 56.3 per cent last year to 55.9 per cent.
The national picture of dipping GCSE results was also reflected in Wolverhampton as the city's ranking for the proportion of candidates gaining five A*-C grades at GCSE or equivalent dropped one per cent to 56.7 per cent. It meant the authority fell from 77th placed down to 103rd.
However, the city improved its A-level performance, jumping 38 places in the national rankings.
Dudley plummeted in the national rankings for its GCSE and A-level results, losing its old position as the best performer in the Black Country. The borough fell 43 places to 110th.
The best ever results were recorded in Sandwell as the borough climbed 10 places in the leagues tables.
