Schools in the region get high praise for efforts
A total of eight secondary schools in the Black Country and Staffordshire have been singled out for praise, as they were named in the 100 most-improved in the country.
Congratulatory letters were sent out to eight schools from the Minister of State for Schools David Laws MP, celebrating their efforts.
Ellowes Hall Sports College, in Lower Gornal, was in the top 100, after being named top school in Dudley for its GCSE results. Head Andy Griffiths said he was pleased.
The top 100 also included Oldswinford Hospital School in Stourbridge, and the King's Church of England School, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton. Stafford Sports College and Wolgarston High School, both in Staffordshire, were also among the schools to receive plaudits.
The RSA Academy, Bilston Road, Tipton, was also named along with Hagley Catholic High School and Haybridge High School and Sixth Form, also in Hagley.
Improvements were measured in terms of the progress pupils made from their Key Stage 2 results through to GCSEs, taking into accounts youngsters' performance in their five best GCSEs including English and maths.
King's Church of England School principal John Allin was delighted the accolade came just months after it opened new facilities at Regis Road. He said: "These are exciting times. Our church school ethos emphasises the importance of learning. This is testimony to the hard work of colleagues, governors and students themselves."
Oldswinford Hospital School's headteacher Peter Jones added: "We are delighted that the Minister of State for Schools has recognised once again the fantastic achievements of the students of Old Swinford Hospital."
