Middle schools in west Suffolk, many of which closed at the end of the summer term as part of the school organisation review, did not fare well in the county’s league table.
Howard Middle School in Bury St Edmunds, which is due to shut in 2016, was ranked 185th in the local education authority’s league table with only 47% of students achieving Level 4 or above in reading, maths and writing tests.
Great Cornard Middle near Sudbury only managed to rank 160th with 60% making expected progress in the three subjects.
Meanwhile All Saints Middle in Sudbury finished 127th in the table while nearby Uplands Middle, which also closed in September, came in just two places higher at 125th.
One of the exceptions in the west of the county was Stoke by Nayland Middle School. It closed in September and the building was sold by Suffolk County Council for £1.2million to an independent trust set up by the Plymouth Brethren.
Stoke by Nayland Middle School was ranked 37th overall in the county and a respectable 85% of students achieved a Level 4 or above in reading, maths and writing.
David Livingstone, former headteacher at Stoke Middle, said he found it “worrying” that the county had closed such a high performing school.
He told the EADT: “Eighty-five percent of pupils attained at least Level 4 in English and maths and the school was ranked 37 within the local authority.
“Surely this does not merit closure of a school – rather, we should be spreading our good practice. What a shame local pupils will no longer benefit from this school.”
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