Secondary school league tables: Walsall improves exam results

A total of 50.8 per cent of pupils gained the Government's benchmark of five or more GCSEs at A* to C, including English and maths. The figures have seen Walsall rise 11 places in the national tables to 129th out of 152 local authorities. Last year the borough came 141st.

The figures, which were released today by the DfE, also show the borough rose six positions up the table to 46th in the country for A-level results.

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Councillor Chris Towe, learning skills and apprenticeships boss at Walsall Council, said he still had concerns over the performance of some of the borough's secondary academies.

Walsall Council has direct control over only two secondary schools in the borough.

"I am delighted with the movement forward that we have had in the last 12 months," he said.

"But I still have concerns with some of the schools which are still not achieving, particularly academies.

"There are one or two of real concern to me.

"With the Government agenda to move schools to academies this is something we need to address with the regional schools' commissioner. I am pleased to hear the improvement but I am still disappointed we are not in the place where we should be.

"Yes we have shown an increase and improvement but it doesn't hide the fact some of the schools aren't doing as well as they should be."

He added: "Clearly any process to change a school does not happen in five minutes.

"Things don't change overnight. We have committed to make all schools good or outstanding by 2020 but it is not to say we won't get there before then."

Queen Mary's Grammar School continued its dominance at the top of the standings for GCSEs.

Last year 100 per cent of pupils gained five or more GCSEs at A* to C, including maths and English. This marked a slight improvement on results from 2014.

Principal Timothy Swain said he was 'immensely proud' of his students as he hailed a record-breaking year for the school.

"We already knew this was an excellent cohort of students but it is good to see them come through and produce the goods," he said.

"We also had 78 per cent of pupils achieving A* or A grades, which smashed our previous record by six per cent.

"The students showed themselves to be a lively, enterprising and a generous bunch who participated fully in school life."