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High aims pay off
East End Life, Issue 441,
p. 2, 27 January-2 February, 2003
http://www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/templates/news/detail.cfm?newsid=1291
- In 1998, even Government officials thought
the local education authority was aiming high in saying that
40 per cent of pupils would get five or more top grade GCSEs
in 2002 - but they surpassed that, achieving 44 per cent.
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- This has been realised through innovation
and excellent leadership at every level.
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- Initiatives such as learning mentors, holiday
study classes, working with business partners and tracking student
progress, have all contributed.
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- MORE students across Tower Hamlets are getting
five or more top GCSE grades than ever before.
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- And the drive to succeed is sweeping through
every school in the borough, driving our results up faster than
any other area of England.
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- The nine per cent rate of improvement in
results in Tower Hamlets compares with a one per cent rise nationally.
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- At Sir John Cass in Stepney and Oaklands,
Bethnal Green results are well ahead of the national average
of 51.5 per cent A*-C passes.
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- Morpeth School in Bethnal Green and Mulberry
in Wapping also beat the national average, with over half GCSE
students achieving five or more top grades.
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- Bishop Challoner in Shadwell, Raine's Foundation
in Bethnal Green and Stepney Green Boys also came very close
to national averages. Stepney Green is among the best-performing
inner-city boys comprehensive schools.
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- Other schools are also making big progress.
At Swanlea in Whitechapel 44 per cent of pupils got five or more
A*-Cs, up from 38 per cent in 2001.
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- Students at Bethnal Green Technology College
improved results even faster, to 42 per cent from 24 per cent.
St Paul's Way, Bow students' results rose from 23 to 41 per cent.
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- Stepney Green headteacher Sean McGrath said:
"We were up front with the boys from the start of year 11
onwards that we had high expectations of them.
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- "We introduced target setting and academic
tutoring, telling them what their current achievement was and
what their target grade was, and keeping parents as fully informed
as possible."
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- The school ran revision classes at the February
and Easter holidays and also after school.
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- "Staff worked very hard and, most importantly,
so did the boys themselves. Our target for the year group was
for 42 per cent to achieve five-plus A* to C grades and 49 per
cent did," Mr McGrath said.
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- Mulberry headteacher Marlene Rowbottom said:
"Our results are a real achievement, showing exceptional
commitment and motivation on the part of individual pupils and
a high standard of teaching across the curriculum.
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- "The quality of teaching and positive
attitudes of pupils to their education were strong features of
our recent Ofsted inspection report in which Mulberry was graded
a 'very good' school.
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- She said success at GCSE level required long-term
planning and support for pupils.
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- The school has a number of initiatives to
ensure all pupils have the opportunity to maximise their progress
including a wide range of extra curricular activities, examination
revision centres, homework clubs, booster activities, pupil reviews
and individual targets to aspire to.
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- Ms Rowbottom added: "The support of
parents, ensuring maximum attendance and encouraging their children
to be fully engaged both in lessons and the extra activities
the school has to offer, is essential.
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- "Success of individual schools also
measures the wider commitment of the community to education."
Copyright © 2003 EastEnd Life
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