York letting disadvantaged pupils down?

A new Centre for City’s study has put York bottom of a league table when measuring the exam results achieved by disadvantaged pupils.

Attainment graphs

Although the number of pupils achieving 5+ A*-C GCSEs including Maths and English in 2013/14 was good, the results for those from disadvantaged backgrounds was worse then elsewhere in the country.

 The gap in York at primary school age (KS2) is 23 percentage points.

This widens to a 40 percentage point difference between disadvantaged pupils and their peers at GCSE level: just 29 per cent of disadvantaged pupils in York achieve five or more good GSCEs, while 69 per cent of their peers do.

The government’s flagship “pupil premium” funding was intended to address this issue.

Someone at the York Council needs to start explaining why some secondary schools seem to be letting down those pupils from a disadvantaged background.

Council Leaders have been quick to jump on any good news from this organisation.

When a downturn in performance become apparent, silence isn’t an adequate explanation.

Schools inspectorate publishes list of “failing” York schools

York schools reports published “on line”

Ofsted have made their inspection reports – and statistical tables for all schools – available “on line”.York High

The statistical sheet for York High can be viewed by clicking here.

Other York secondary schools can be accessed by clicking here

You can access Primary schools on the Ofsted web site here or, for west York schools, click the links below

Most York schools are performing well.

One exception was Canon Lee (which has already been subject to widespread media comment)

Five Primary schools were criticised in their last Ofsted reports

Nine York Primary schools were rated as “Outstanding” by Ofsted.

GCSE results

Meanwhile  Key Stage 4 School Performance Tables published today show that many York schools achieved excellent results and are well above national averages.

The percentage of pupils gaining five or more A*–C grades at GCSE (or equivalent), including English and Maths, is 62 per cent. This is 6 percentage points above the national average and places York in the top spot in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

The results place York in the top 14 per cent of Local Authorities in England. 

York is also in the top 10 per cent of Local Authorities in England for pupils achieving the ‘English Baccalaureate’, and in the top third for pupils achieving ‘at least expected rates’ of progress from the end of Key Stage 2.
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Schools face overcrowding challenge in York

Return of the mobile classroom?

School place shortfall

The majority of primary schools are overcrowded according to new figures released by the York Council.

Although some new building works are planned, the position would be exacerbated if Labour’s “Big City” Local Plan gets the go ahead.

Developers are required to pay for additional school places, when providing more homes, permanent provision often lags some years behind new homes being occupied.

Some primary school sites – such as Our Lady’s on Windsor Garth – have been sold for redevelopment, adding to local pressures.

The position at York’s primary schools means that pressure on Secondary school places – only one of which is currently beyond capacity – will build over the next 5 years.

By 2019 an additional 635 secondary school desks will be required.

For many years Oaklands school (the predecessor of York High) operated with several mobile classrooms. Apart from the classrooms being remote from the main building, extra pupils placed pressure on communal facilities such as assembly halls.

Lack of spaces may further reduce the choice available to parents when they decide which school to send their children to.

Key exam results success for York children

KS2Liberal Democrat Councillors have welcomed government figures released today (11 December) which show that York pupils are continuing to perform above the national average in their Key Stage 2 tests, ranking the city’s results second only to those of the East Riding in Yorkshire and Humber.

The Department for Education (DfE) published the final results for the June 2014 Key Stage 2 tests for 11 year olds. For York, these results show that:

Results at Level 4+ (the expected level of achievement for 11 year olds) : 79% of pupils achieved level 4 or above in reading, writing and maths (in line with the national average).

Results at Level 5+ (the higher level): 25% of pupils achieved level 5 or above in reading, writing and maths (1 percentage point above the national average).
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89 per cent of York secondary schools ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’

89 per cent of York secondary schools and 87 per cent of the city’s primary schools are classed as ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’, according to the latest Ofsted inspections.

York High School

The figures will be presented to City of York Council’s Learning and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee later this week (19 November) together with other schools’ data for 2014. (more…)

Absence in York schools amongst lowest in the country

Figures released by Department for Education (DfE) show that levels of attendance in City of York schools continue to be amongst the very best nationally.

The DfE figures revealed that only 3.2 per cent of pupils in York were regarded as persistent absentees [absent for 15 or more per cent of their lessons], a reduction from 5 per cent for the same period in 2012-13.
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York celebrates A-level results success

Children’s  in York today (14 August) achieved another excellent set of results in this year’s A-level examinations.

Provisional results for York school sixth forms and York College show that the very high standards of previous years have been maintained. Initial results for the city indicate that attainment is likely to be well above national levels.
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School closures in York on Thursday

Westfield school

Westfield school

The Council has published a list of schools which may be closed tomorrow because of  a strike by one of the teachers unions.

Those affected include Hob Moor and Westfield.

York High and Millthorpe will be “partially open”.

Dringhouses and Woodthorpe are expected to remain open.

Click here for an up to date list.

York school pupil attacks on teachers low

Pupils

Following the tragic incident in Leeds recently the York Council has published details of the number of attacks by pupils on teachers over the last 5 years.

They say that 16 instances were reported to the Local Authority

13 incidents resulted in cuts/bruises/grazes. 2 injuries were due to bites. 1 resulted in a broken thumb

Only one incident resulted in a teacher having to go to hospital

The locations for the attacks were recorded as

  • Special school = 5,
  • Pupil Referral Unit = 4,
  • Secondary school = 3,
  • Primary school = 4