January 15, 2009
MP CONGRATULATES SCHOOL AMONG MOST IMPROVED IN COUNTRY
THRYBERGH Comprehensive School is among the top 100 schools in the country for sustained improvement.
Results published today show the number of pupils getting five or more GCSEs at A*-C grade including English and Maths at the Rotherham school has more than tripled in the last three years, from 10 per cent in 2005 to 33 per cent in 2008. It means Thrybergh is racked 46th in the country on that measure.
MP John Healey said: “I’m delighted that Thrybergh school has seen such a big rise in its results – not just last year but over the last three years. It’s one of the largest sustained increases in the country and the biggest in South Yorkshire.
“It is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all the pupils, governors and staff at the school, including the headteacher.”
He said such efforts, coupled with extra Government investment, were seeing results rise across the area.
“The number of pupils in Rotherham getting at least five GCSEs at A*-C grade has gone up from 37 per cent in 1998 to 58 per cent this year,” he said.
Schools Secretary Ed Balls said: “Congratulations to all the pupils, staff and governors at Thrybergh school. This is a great achievement which everybody involved in the school can be truly proud of and I hope Thrybergh will go from strength to strength in the years to come.”
This year’s results mean Thrybergh is now above the Government’s floor target of 30 per cent of pupils achieving 5 or more A*-C GCSEs including English and maths, set by the National Challenge initiative in 2008.
Swinton Community School’s results have also moved above this threshold, from 27 per cent in 2007 to 36 per cent in 2008.
The Government is investing £400m in the National Challenge, providing extra support to schools with results below the 30 per cent threshold, with the aim of there being no schools below the target by the end of 2011.
There are now 440 National Challenge schools compared to 1,600 – around half of all schools – in 1997.
Related pages on this site: