Standards in secondary schools rising, DfE says

The latest DfE school league tables show that standards in secondary schools are rising

Despite criticism regarding the accuracy of school league tables, the latest data releases shows that secondary school tables are continuing to rise.

This year, more pupils are achieving strong results in English and maths, and more are performing well in the EBacc.

Converter academies are also performing above the national average, and disadvantaged pupils in MATs are making more progress than the equivalent national average.

School standards minister, Nick Gibb, said: “Making sure that all pupils, regardless of their background, are able to fulfil their potential is one of this government’s key priorities and these results show that more pupils across the country are doing just that.

“It’s been clear for some time that standards are rising in our schools and today’s data underlines the role academies and free schools are playing in that improvement, with progress above the national average and impressive outcomes for disadvantaged pupils.

“Also vital to rising standards is the increasing number of pupils entering the EBacc. With a record number of disadvantaged pupils achieving good grades in the EBacc, more pupils will go on to further and higher education with a wider range of options and opportunities.”

The statistics show:

• The proportion of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above at GCSE in both English and maths has increased, from 42.6% last year to 43.3% this;

• Progress by 16-18-year-olds retaking English and maths has improved in both subjects

• 95.5% of pupils are now entering EBacc science at GCSE, up from 63.2% in 2010, and the number of pupils taking maths and science at A Level has increased, including a rise of around 7% in the number of girls taking at least one of these subjects.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or connect with us on LinkedIn!