PUPILS at schools across York have performed well against a backdrop of considerable change in the exam system.


For this year's results there have been changes to grades for English and maths with a new numerical grading system from nine to one - with nine being the highest - rather than A* to G. Students still received grades for exams in other subjects marked A*-G.


To further complicate matters, the new grades do not directly correlate with the old ones, so a nine is not the same as an old A*. The other subjects will move to the numerical system over the next two years.
Provisional results show that York schools have performed well against these new indicators with 69 per cent of students achieving grade 4 and above in both English and maths, and 48 per cent achieving grade 5 and above.


At Millthorpe School 60 per cent of students achieved passes at grade 4 (equivalent to grade C) or better in English and maths. Also 38 per cent of students achieved the English Baccalaureate (grade 4/C or better in English, maths, two sciences, a modern language and a humanity), which is expected to be well above the national average for 2017.


At Huntington School 73 per cent of pupils got grade four or above in English and maths combined. Head teacher, John Tomsett, said: "It has been a difficult time in schools in England with the tidal wave of change our students and teachers have had to deal with. 


"It is very difficult to compare this year’s results with last year’s but we feel that our students have performed beyond expectations. The fact that  five per cent of students gained the highest grade 9 in maths is a remarkable achievement and that 40 per cent of our students have attained the new grade 5-9 Ebacc qualification is a testimony to the quality of our results this year.


"In 2012 Michael Gove said that as a result of the new, harder GCSEs, “some students will find it difficult to sit these exams” and leave school without any qualifications. Well, the good news is, that every single one of our 232 students is leaving Huntington School today with qualifications, having sat the new GCSEs. Through determined hard work we have defied Michael Gove’s gloomy prediction."


Jon Stonehouse, City of York Council's director of education, said: “These results demonstrate that our city has brilliant young people who have reached a high level of achievement in the face of considerable change.”

 
At Vale of York Academy in Clifton, more than two-thirds of pupils achieved a standard pass or better in English or maths, and the percentage of students achieving benchmark measures in English and Maths has also risen.


Principal Helen Dowds said: “Well done Year 11, rising results are always a pleasure! We look forward to welcoming our pupils back on 5th September - I know that next year will bring successes as we continue our rapid journey of improvement.”


At All Saints RC head Bill Scriven said: "All Saints has been blessed yet again with amazing GCSE results. We are tremendously proud of how all our students have risen to this challenge and especially to those nine students in English and five students in maths who have achieved the highest “exceptional” grades."