Issue - meetings

10.05am

Frances Craven, Deputy Director for Education and Early Intervention, and Sue Bainbridge, Schools & Learning Manager, to present a report (to follow) to the Committee on Oxfordshire provisional 2013 GCSE and A-Level results.

The Committee had before them a report on the Provisional GCSE & A-Level results in Oxfordshire maintained schools and academies.

Frances Craven, Deputy Director for Education & Early Intervention explained that 34 schools had provided feedback in respect of their GCSE results.  The 60% point milestone achieved by schools is an important figure, and no secondary school had provided feedback to indicate that they were below the 40% floor standard for intervention.  Of note was the improvement of 16% points by Oxford Spires Academy.

It was reported that 20 schools had improved on their GCSE results, 2 remained the same and of the 12 that had decreased their performance, 2 had asked for re-counts in English as the results were not reflective of their predicted grades.  13 of the secondary schools have been underpinned by a strategy which had resulted in pupils who might have achieved D grades, now getting C’s and B-grade pupils achieving A’s.  There was also a noted increase in those pupils achieving A* grades.

Committee received a presentation highlighting the difference between girls and boys and the grades achieved in GCSE English and Maths.  Frances Craven also confirmed that the Oxfordshire Secondary Schools Group had been looking at schools which do well, and then encouraging those schools to share with other schools the methods used to achieve their improvements.

Councillor Waine asked for the figures on Science results to be included with the validated figures.  The Chair confirmed that a report should be received in January in order that Committee can see a full analysis.

The Committee expressed their thanks to the teachers, parents and grandparents of pupils throughout Oxfordshire, and noted their collective pride in schools partnerships and students, in achieving the progress made this year.