GCSE results blow for Wolverhampton

Less than 46 per cent of youngsters in the city gained five or more good GCSE grades, including English and maths.

The shocking results mean Wolverhampton is now the eighth worst area in the country in terms of pupils achieving the benchmark standard, while the 15.1pc fall represents the biggest drop of any English authority.

Nationally, 52.6pc of students gained five A* to C grades, including the key subjects of English and maths, a 6.6pc fall from last year which School's Minister Nick Gibb says is proof that the exam system is more demanding.

But the dramatic decline of results in Wolverhampton's secondary schools has led to calls for a thorough investigation into the authority's education system.

Councillor Wendy Thompson, leader of the Conservative group on the council, said: "These results are immensely disappointing. It is terrible for the children and damaging for the future of the city.

"The council needs to take immediate action in the form of an investigation to find out what is going wrong. If our children are not achieving, particularly in English and maths, they are going to struggle to get jobs."

Wolverhampton fared worst of the Black Country authorities - just 12 months after the city finished top of the pile in the region.

In Dudley, the figure was 52.7pc, with Sandwell at 49.8pc and Walsall 48.3pc. Staffordshire's schools posted a figure of 54.4pc, while the average across the West Midlands was 54.2pc.

Wolverhampton City Council's education chief, Councillor Phil Page said he was 'disappointed' with the outcome, which he put down to incomplete data and poor performances from two of the city's academies.

He added: "A number of our schools have recorded performance levels broadly in line with the national average, but some, particularly two academies, have unfortunately recorded more sizeable drops which have impacted on the city's overall figures.

"It's also important to stress that the provisional data released this week is incomplete, in that it doesn't include the results from one of Wolverhampton's most successful schools, which the council believes will increase the city's overall pass rate by approximately four per cent.

"We expect to receive a truer picture when the validated results are released in a few months' time."

Nine of Wolverhampton's secondary schools are now academies, including the regularly high performing Wolverhampton Girls' High School. Next year, Wednesfield High and Deansfield will convert to academy status following disappointing recent inspection results.

In September, a scathing Ofsted report said too many children were being 'failed' by the city's education system. The authority was also told the lack of progress in improving schools 'cannot be allowed to continue'. The report followed a wave of spot inspections on 13 schools in June, none of which were rated outstanding.