Secondary schools get top awards (From Daily Echo)

Redbridge and Armewood schools praised

6:10am Monday 16th July 2012 in News

Secondary schools get top awards

A SOUTHAMPTON school and Hampshire academy have been named among the best in the country for adding value to their pupils’ education.

Redbridge Community School and The Arnewood School Academy in New Milton have been praised for pushing teenagers to perform ahead of expectations in their GCSEs.

The two schools both feature in the top ten per cent of English schools named by British schools’ representative body SSAT (Secondary Schools and Academies Trust), based on the proportion of pupils achieving five or more high passes including maths and English.

The organisation measured percentages gaining at least five A* to C grades with those core subjects against primary school test results for the same children at 11 years old.

Redbridge saw 44 per cent of its Year 11 pupils leave secondary education last summer with those good passes, while 68 per cent of youngsters at Arnewood recorded the benchmark grades.

Both schools’ results were slightly lower than figures from 2010, but the SSAT compared results to expectations based on Key Stage 2 SATs exam results and found the GCSE grades put them in the top 200 schools nationally.

SSAT chief executive Sue Williamson said: “Redbridge and Arnewood should be congratulated for their stunning performance in adding value to their students’ achievements.

“They are among the best schools in the country at outperforming expectations for their pupils and improving their future prospects. There is plenty that other schools could learn from their success.

“These results are testament to the commitment and hard work of the students, teachers and leadership team at the schools and a vindication of their belief in high expectations, good teaching and ambition for every young person.

“The value-added measures show how schools make a difference and raise achievement above expectations.”

Redbridge head Jason Ashley said: "We are delighted that our hard work and effort has been recognised by the SSAT.

“I am very proud of the students and the school staff for this national recognition - it is quite an achievement to be in the top 200 schools."

Arnewood head teacher Chris Hummerstone added: "We’re thrilled by this award and the recognition it gives to the hard work of our students, parents and teachers within our community. I thank and congratulate everyone involved in this process.”