New data reveals that many schools in Blackpool are falling short of national GCSE standards, raising concerns among local education officials
Blackpool: Recent exam results show that most schools in Blackpool are lagging behind the national average for GCSEs. The government released these figures, and they’re pretty alarming.
St George’s School in Marton is the standout performer, with 70% of its students achieving at least five GCSEs, including English and maths. But the rest of the schools? Not so great.
Highfield School managed to get 30% of its students to pass the same benchmark, while St Mary’s had 28%. The numbers drop even more at Aspire Academy and Armfield Academy, with only 24% and 22% passing, respectively. South Shore Academy had the worst results, with just 9% of students passing.
At a recent council meeting, officials expressed their worries about these results. They pointed out that the Progress 8 scores, which track student progress, were particularly concerning. It seems like where a child goes to school can make a big difference in their outcomes.
Graeme Dow, the assistant director for education, called the results from South Shore Academy a “shock.” He emphasized the need for better communication with schools to improve these outcomes. He also mentioned that various factors, like student expulsions and family issues, could be affecting performance.
Education is now a key part of Blackpool’s regeneration efforts. Dow raised an important question: does the curriculum meet the needs of the town and its students? He believes that alternative learning environments might be more effective for some kids.
South Shore Academy has recently been taken over by Cidari, the multi-academy trust that also runs St George’s. After being rated inadequate by Ofsted, it was put into special measures, and while there have been some improvements, more work is needed.
In summary, the percentage of students passing at least five GCSEs varies widely across schools, with St George’s leading the pack and South Shore trailing far behind. It’s clear that Blackpool has some serious challenges to tackle in its education system.
