York school exam results published

Exam results in York click to access more information

The Department for Education has published the results of GCSE exams taken last year.

York schools generally performed better than the rest of he UK with 64% of pupils achieving good GCSE results against an a national average of 57%.

From next year, schools in England will be measured on what is known as Progress 8. Progress 8 will replace the five or more good GCSEs, including maths and English, benchmark as the key measure for all secondary schools.

Progress 8 assesses the progress pupils make between Key Stage 2 tests taken at the end of primary school and their performance in a specified mixture of eight subjects at the end of secondary school. Schools will be given a score based on how their pupils have progressed compared to the national average.

This year, schools were given the option to “opt in” for Progress 8 and 327 schools (around 10%) took this up.

Nationally, head teachers have long complained measuring success on the basis of GCSE results alone is unfair as it does not take into account the intake of the school.

But ministers have maintained parents want and need simple and easy-to-digest information about schools.

The difference in achievement by gender is startling, with roughly a fifth fewer boys than girls reaching the end of Key Stage 4 with a good set of GCSEs.

Some 61.8% of girls got five good GCSEs, including English and maths, compared with 52.5% of their male peers.

And fewer boys than girls made at least the expected level of progress – 65.9% of boys opposed to 76.5% of girls.

More girls (29.3%) than boys achieved the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which requires GCSEs in two sciences, a language, history or geography, as well as English and maths. Only 19.5% of boys obtained it.

Overall, 24.3% of pupils achieved the EBacc.

There was also a marked difference between the performance of disadvantaged pupils (those eligible for the pupil premium) and their more advantaged peers, with just 36.7% getting five good GCSEs, including maths and English, compared to 64.7%.

The poorest performing local authority was Knowsley on Merseyside, where 37.4% of pupils met the required standard, compared to the national average of 57.1%.

York schools admission consultation

All admissions authorities in the City of York Council area are consulting parents and carers on new policies and the number of places available for the school year starting in September 2017.

The consultation includes all admissions policies and the planned number of places available at each school in the year of entry to primary, junior, secondary school and sixth forms. The views of parents, carers, schools as well as governors, teachers and other interested parties are being sought before the closing date of 15 December 2015.

The fairness and accessibility of information available, application processes, planned admission numbers, admission policies and oversubscription criteria are all currently being consulted on. All comments will be forwarded to the relevant admissions authority for their consideration before agreeing these arrangements
Following consultation, each admissions authority will formally set its admission arrangements by 28 February 2016. These will be published on each admissions authority’s websites by 15 March 2016 after which date objections can be raised to the Schools Adjudicator.

Three Coordinated Admissions Schemes are being consulted on for entry into all Primary (Reception), Junior (Year 3) and Secondary (Year 7) schools. The consultation also includes policies for York’s Community and Voluntary Controlled schools, as well as the 12 Admissions Policies for Academy and Voluntary Aided schools in the city. All documents offered for consultation are in their draft (pre-determined) form.

To respond, please email admissionsconsultation@york.gov.uk or please complete the short online survey at www.york.gov.uk/consultations .

York still above average in education performance

A Council report, being considered next week, confirms that the City’s education system is continuing to achieve above average performance results.

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Exam results at both GCSE and advance level stages show an improvement over the previous year.

OFSTED inspections reveal that, as of 9th October 2015, 89% of York secondary schools are rated “good or outstanding”, 88% of primaries are “good or outstanding” and 100% of our special schools are “good or outstanding”.

This means that overall, of the 64 schools in the city, 89% are good or outstanding.

At most education stages the difference in achievement between less well off pupils (entitled to pupil premium) and others, has either narrowed or remained constant, although the gap widened in mathematics at Key Stage 2

Detailed performance graphs can be found by clicking here

Parents offered £1,300 in York

As the new terms starts, applying for free school meals could not only mean a daily hot lunch if the child wants one, but the Government will give £1,300 every year for each eligible pupil at primary schools and £965 per year per student at secondary schools.

With an estimated 400 children eligible in York but whose parents are not claiming, this could mean that up to £380,000 of Government funding is being missed out on by York pupils and their schools.

The Pupil Premium, as it is known, is paid to the child’s school and is used to help them do even better with their schoolwork. It could mean extra help with homework, uniform vouchers or buying extra books.

The Pupil Premium will be paid whether or not the pupil takes the free meals. If they prefer, they can choose to have them on certain days or even if they prefer to take a packed lunch every day. School meals provide a tasty and nutritious choice of hot or cold lunch every day.

Successful applications made before the school census in January 2016 will mean that the school will get this funding every year for the next six academic years, but applications can be made at any time throughout the school year. Parents or carers can apply through the school or online at www.york.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals.

While all children in school Reception and Years 1 and 2 currently receive free school meals, eligible parents and carers still need to apply for the Pupil Premium to be allocated to their child.

To qualify for free school meals, parents or carers must get one of the following income-related benefits:

Income Support
Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Child Tax Credit combined with both a household income below £16,190, and not in receipt of any Working Tax Credit
Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit.

Contributions-based benefits, including contribution-related Job Seekers Allowanceare not qualifying benefits. Parents or carers who have just started to work less than 16 hours a week, or immediately after employment has ceased for a temporary four week ‘run-on’ period only may be eligible.

For more information, to check eligibility or to apply, please go to www.york.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals or contact School Services at West Offices, Station Rise, York, YO1 6GA or call 01904 551554 or email education@york.gov.uk

City’s new centre for deaf children under construction

Currently, some deaf children and young people living in York have go to schools outside the city because there is no central provision in York where they can be taught and communicate together in English and British Sign Language.

Following research, City of York Council is creating a new centre which will provide deaf education for local children in a primary school setting. Hempland Primary School was identified as having the right location, school environment and ethos to host a new centre for primary school-aged deaf children, the school has agreed to host the project. Deaf pupils have been on its roll for a number of years.

The Centre for Deaf Children at Hempland will cater for a core group of deaf children who will join the school roll. They will be taught the mainstream curriculum where appropriate, with support from specialist teachers of the deaf and teaching assistants. Deaf adults will also work as specialist support staff and, on a voluntary basis, to provide deaf role models. There will be opportunities for other professionals such as audiology/speech and language therapists, to provide support within school meaning the deaf children and their families will have a single, familiar location where a variety of appointments can be held.

The centre will also be an informal meeting point for deaf children, their families and teachers to build on the social and educational opportunities in the city with plans for early years groups, lunch clubs and Sing and Sign sessions which build on the social and educational opportunities in the city.

The school will reopen after the summer holiday as usual, when all external construction should be complete. The centre is due to open after half term in October 2015.

York children urged to change travel modes

The scheme aims to encourage pupils, parents and staff to travel to and from school using sustainable travel.

The Modeshift STARS scheme is an on-line tool showcasing green travel options that also recognises schools that are working hard not only to encourage parents and staff to travel to school more sustainably but use sustainable transport as part of their curriculum activities.

The aim of the project is to increase the number of people walking and cycling to school, and reducing congestion during the school run making it safer for everyone.

Schools taking part in Modeshift STARS work towards a national award which recognises the continuing efforts a school makes to increase sustainable travel by the whole school community.

Jonathan Green, Head Teacher for Archbishop of York Junior school said: “Modeshift STARS has brought our whole school community together. It is a brilliant scheme that has encourages us to really look positively at how we travel to school and how we take responsibility for our village.”

For more information on Modeshift STARS visit http://www.itravelyork.info/for-schools/travel-planning/stars. For more information on sustainable travel in York visit www.itravelyork.info

Truancy low in York schools

Attendance at City of York Council’s schools for 2013-2014 continues to be amongst the very best nationally, according to figures released by the Department for Education (DfE), with York returning the UK’s lowest number of persistent absentees for primary schools.

Data published on Friday 26 March for the first five half terms of 2013-14, shows that York is the UK’s joint second best-performing local authority for primary school attendance at 96.7%. City of York Council primary schools also had the joint lowest numbers nationally for persistent absentees at 1.3%.

This excellent performance was also reflected in secondary schools with attendance at 95.4%, placing York in the 20 top-performing local authorities out of 150 councils. The percentage of pupils in secondary schools regarded as persistent absentees was City of York Council’s lowest since records began with only 4.6% counting as persistent absentees.

Currently any pupil who is absent for 15% or more of their sessions is regarded as a persistent absentee, however from September 2015 this will change so that pupils with absence of 10% or more will count as a persistent absentee.

Pupils who miss between 10 per cent and 20 per cent of school tend to have lower attainment levels than average, with only 35 per cent achieving five A* to C GCSEs, including English and maths.

Jon Stonehouse, Director of Children’s Services, Education and Skills at City of York Council, said: “The work of teaching staff, police and council partners in the health sector as well as parental commitment all contribute to this excellent outcome which helps ensure that children overcome any barriers to attendance and have access to a good education. I would encourage any parent concerned about issues that they feel may lead to their child missing lessons to contact their school straight away.”

York Council letting disadvantaged children down?

A new Centre for City’s study has put York bottom of a league table when measuring the exam results achieved by disadvantaged pupils.

Although the number of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C GCSEs including Maths and English in 2013/14 was good, the results for those from disadvantaged backgrounds was worse then elsewhere in the country.

The gap in York at primary school age (KS2) is 23 percentage points.

This widens to a 40 percentage point difference between disadvantaged pupils and their peers at GCSE level: just 29 per cent of disadvantaged pupils in York achieve five or more good GSCEs, while 69 per cent of their peers do.

The government’s flagship “pupil premium” funding was intended to address this issue.

Someone at the York Council needs to start explaining why some secondary schools seem to be letting down those pupils from a disadvantaged background.

Council Leaders have been quick to jump on any good news from this organisation.

When a downturn in performance become apparent, silence isn’t an adequate explanation.

Ofsted publishes list of “failing” York schools

York schools reports published “on line”

Ofsted have made their inspection reports – and statistical tables for all schools – available “on line”.

The statistical sheet for York High can be viewed by clicking here.

Other York secondary schools can be accessed by clicking here

You can access Primary schools on the Ofsted web site here or, for west York schools, click the links below

Most York schools are performing well.

One exception was Canon Lee (which has already been subject to widespread media comment)

Five Primary schools were criticised in their last Ofsted reports

Nine York Primary schools were rated as “Outstanding” by Ofsted.

GCSE results

Meanwhile Key Stage 4 School Performance Tables published today show that many York schools achieved excellent results and are well above national averages.

The percentage of pupils gaining five or more A*–C grades at GCSE (or equivalent), including English and Maths, is 62 per cent. This is 6 percentage points above the national average and places York in the top spot in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The results place York in the top 14 per cent of Local Authorities in England.

York is also in the top 10 per cent of Local Authorities in England for pupils achieving the ‘English Baccalaureate’, and in the top third for pupils achieving ‘at least expected rates’ of progress from the end of Key Stage 2.
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Schools face overcrowding challenge in York

Return of the mobile classroom?

The majority of primary schools are overcrowded according to new figures released by the York Council.

Although some new building works are planned, the position would be exacerbated if Labour’s “Big City” Local Plan gets the go ahead.

Developers are required to pay for additional school places, when providing more homes, permanent provision often lags some years behind new homes being occupied.

Some primary school sites – such as Our Lady’s on Windsor Garth – have been sold for redevelopment, adding to local pressures.

The position at York’s primary schools means that pressure on Secondary school places – only one of which is currently beyond capacity – will build over the next 5 years.

By 2019 an additional 635 secondary school desks will be required.

For many years Oaklands school (the predecessor of York High) operated with several mobile classrooms. Apart from the classrooms being remote from the main building, extra pupils placed pressure on communal facilities such as assembly halls.

Lack of spaces may further reduce the choice available to parents when they decide which school to send their children to.

Cllr Stephen Fenton, Cllr Ashley Mason & Cllr Paula Widdowson

Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Liberal Democrats