Suffolk: Revised GCSE results show Suffolk is rising up the national league table and closing the gap on England average
Lisa Chambers, the cabinet member for education, skills and young people at Suffolk County Council, seized on the revised GCSE figures to claim the county had made a breakthrough following the results from last year which placed the county 142nd out of 150 local authorities for educational attainment at the age of 16. - Credit: Archant
Suffolk is rising up the GCSE league table and edging closer towards the national benchmark of educational attainment, a leading councillor claimed tonight.
Lisa Chambers, Suffolk County Council’s cabinet member for education, skills and young people, seized on revised GCSE figures to claim the county had made a breakthrough following last year’s results which placed the county 142nd out of 150 local authorities for educational attainment at the age of 16.
It comes after Department for Education data released today showed 54.4% of teenagers in Suffolk scored at least five C grades including English and maths in their GCSE exams this year.
It was a rise from last year’s 50.5% mark, but still below the national average, which dipped by 0.8%, of 58.6%.
However, last year the county was 8.9% behind the national average, as opposed to 4.2% this year.
The county council launched its flagship Raising the Bar scheme following the disappointing set of scores last year.
And Mrs Chambers admitted she was “thrilled” by the level of progress made over the past 12 months, but warned further work was needed to further breach the national difference.
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The county has been flagging behind the national average in the number of students scoring at least five Cs including English and maths in their GCSEs every year since the 2008/09 academic year.
“It is a real reflection of the hard work and dedication of all those individuals in Suffolk who have been relentlessly working to improve education standards in the county,” Mrs Chambers said.
“I do, however, recognise that there is still work to be done to get Suffolk further up the league tables and performing above the national average.”
She added: “It is what our young people deserve from their education and it is what we are determined to achieve. We always knew this was not going to be a quick overnight fix. The Raising the Bar programme is a long term investment from partners across the county to see educational attainment improve.
“But I am pleased that we have made such a positive start on our journey towards excellence.”
The figures also found improving maths scores in Suffolk, with the percentage of pupils making the expected progress in the subject having risen by 4% to 68%, moving the county’s ranking in the maths league table up from 128th to 101st.
