Department for Education publishes provisional GCSE results

Association of School and College Leaders says the tables should 'come with a health warning' because they may give parents an 'inaccurate and incomplete picture'

(FREDERICK FLORIN/AFP/Getty Images)

The Government’s ‘ambitious’ programme of education reform has improved the learning of thousands of pupils, according to provisional GCSE figures published by the Department for Education (DfE).

Usually issued in January, the tables have been released three months early this year with the aim to give parents up-to-date information before submitting application forms for secondary school places this month for September 2016.

The results have shown how converter academies – Ofsted’s ‘outstanding’ or ‘performing well’ schools which have been invited to covert to academy status – are performing 7.2 per cent better above the national average, with 63.3 per cent of pupils achieving the headline measure of 5+ A* to C GCSEs, including English and maths.

As well as this, the DfE said figures show recently-opened sponsored academies are matching – or bettering – their performance year-on-year, despite facing significant challenges of transforming underperforming schools.

See the provisional results tables:

Schools Minister Nick Gibb described how, as a one-nation government, the Conservatives are committed to delivering educational excellence in every area of the country, with the results demonstrating the progress which is being made in extending opportunity and raising academic standards.

He added: “Converter academies are leading the way in strong academic standards and, over time, we will see the excellence and expertise of strong sponsors spread.”

Reflecting on the Government’s future plans, he said: “As well as raising standards, our plan for education is ensuring more pupils leave school with the qualifications which we know will give them the best possible chance to achieve their full potential.”

The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), however, took a different stance on the release of the tables, saying they should ‘come with a health warning’ because they may give parents an ‘inaccurate and incomplete picture’.

The association’s general secretary, Brian Lightman, described how, while the ASCL welcomed the aim of speeding up publication of performance tables, there are ‘serious problems’ with the information which is being published early.

He explained: “It’s not uncommon for schools to have several grades altered after challenges to results and this can have a dramatic effect on performance tables. There is a real risk that the information being published early will not accurately reflect the achievements of some schools and this may have a damaging effect on them and give parents an impression which is not correct.”

As well as this, he expressed concern that the performance measures which are being published focus too much on exam grades and make ‘no reference to the progress made by pupils’, adding: “Parents need a rounded picture when they choose a secondary school. Presenting them with only half of the picture is misleading.”