The best and worst schools in Scarborough for GCSE results

Scarborough secondary schools appear at both ends of the performance tables based on this year's GCSE results.
The Department of Education's provisional data on GCSE results has been released.The Department of Education's provisional data on GCSE results has been released.
The Department of Education's provisional data on GCSE results has been released.

According to provisional data released by the Department of Education on Thursday, St Augustine’s was the best performing school in the town.

The school’s 0.76 score means students achieved more three quarters of a grade more in their GCSEs than they were expected to when they left primary school.

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It also represents a huge improvement from last year’s score of 0.09 and places them the highest in the borough for Progress 8, and sixth in the whole of North Yorkshire.

Progress 8 scores in Scarborough and RyedaleProgress 8 scores in Scarborough and Ryedale
Progress 8 scores in Scarborough and Ryedale

Mark Taylor, St Augustine’s headteacher, said: “I am always impressed by the hard work put in by the staff and pupils at St. Augustine’s and it’s good to see that the new government measures recognise this.

“The progress made by all of our pupils has been outstanding this year, whatever their starting point. I am very proud of them for their achievements.”

Scalby School was the second highest ranked school in the town boasting a 0.58 score - up from last year’s 0.15 rating.

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Ryedale School (0.62), Norton College (0.21), Malton School (0.08), Lady Lumley’s (0.04) are all classed above the national average while Ebor Academy Filey’s score of -0.25 is seen as average.

Scarborough and Ryedale Attainment 8 scores 2017Scarborough and Ryedale Attainment 8 scores 2017
Scarborough and Ryedale Attainment 8 scores 2017

Rob Williams, Malton School headteacher, said: “I am very proud of all of our young people last year who have done so well. I am also pleased that these government tables reflect how honest we were with the public back in August.

“It is not acceptable that some schools seriously exaggerated their performance. Every community deserves a school it can trust.”

However, Scarborough’s two ‘Inadequate’ schools have unsurprisingly found themselves at the wrong end of the league tables.

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George Pindar and Graham School’s scores of -0.67 and -0.7 respectively mean they are well below the national average.

The percentage of children at schools who achieved a grade 4 and above in both English and maths.The percentage of children at schools who achieved a grade 4 and above in both English and maths.
The percentage of children at schools who achieved a grade 4 and above in both English and maths.

The Department for Education data for 2015-16 also includes a related measure called Attainment 8.

This measures the achievement of a pupil across eight qualifications: Mathematics (double weighted), English (double weighted), three English Baccalaureate (EBacc) subjects and three other subjects.

In North Yorkshire’s case, this was 49.3 which was above the national average of 44.2 with only Graham School, Ebor Academy Filey and George Pindar failing to reach that target.

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Andy Galbraith, Ebor Academy Filey headteacher said: “We are really pleased that the hard work of the students and staff has paid off last year.

Progress 8 scores in Scarborough and RyedaleProgress 8 scores in Scarborough and Ryedale
Progress 8 scores in Scarborough and Ryedale

"We still have lots to do, but under the new leadership and as part of Ebor Academy Trust the school has moved from an Inadequate Ofsted rating in 2015 and outcomes “Well Below Average” in 2015 and 2016 to “Average” in 2017.

“Last year 80% of students gained a Grade 4 and above in English, well above the national average. We are continuing to strengthen the outcomes of our students with new leadership in maths.”

For the first time, English language, English literature, and maths GCSEs were graded on a 9-1 scale this year as part of the Government overhaul of the system.

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In the new regime a 9 is equivalent to A* and above and 1 is the lowest score, with a 4 considered a low C grade.

At Scalby School, 77% of pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs while St Augustine’s cohort of 2017 were not far behind with 74% making the standard.

David Read, Scalby School headteacher, said: “The Progress 8 places the school in the top 12% in the country for progress. In addition, our EBacc. score of 37% is also over 17% higher than the national average which is evidence of both the rigour and diversity of the curriculum and most importantly, the diligence of the students.

Scarborough and Ryedale Attainment 8 scores 2017Scarborough and Ryedale Attainment 8 scores 2017
Scarborough and Ryedale Attainment 8 scores 2017

“What was also particularly pleasing was that over three quarters of students gained five or more GCSEs and 52% gained the new ‘strong pass’ grade 5 in both English and mathematics which was over 12% higher than the national average.

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"Such results are the culmination of a lot of hard work by students, supportive parenting and committed, talented teaching. We are therefore hopeful that Scalby’s class of 2018 aspire to and achieve similarly excellent results.”

Ryedale School (85%), Malton School and Lady Lumley’s (both 66%) and Norton College (65%) also earned scores above the 63% national average.

Graham School, which was placed back in special measures after an Ofsted inspection in May, had 42% of pupils earning a grade 4 or above in maths and English while just 39% achieved the same target at George Pindar School.

The final league tables will be released in January 2018, and will take into account the results of exam appeals.