United Learning Trust GCSE performance 2010

All 17 United Learning Trust (ULT) academies have now broken through the National Challenge threshold.

Dramatic improvements at 5+ A* - C including English and maths:

	ULT academies - average increase of 8 percentage points (rising from 33.6% to 41.6%):
	24% improvement
	Barnsley Academy breaks through National Challenge and rises from 19% to 51%
	Predecessor school's final year (2006) was 6%
	Paddington Academy rises from 34% to 62%: 28 percentage point improvement
	Predecessor school's final year (2006) was 18%
	Stockport Academy doubles from 25% to 51%
	Predecessor school's final year (2007) was 14%
	Walthamstow Academy rises from 31% to 49%: an increase of 18 percentage points
	Predecessor school's equivalent result (2006) was 15%
	North Oxfordshire Academy rises from 25% to 38%: an increase of
	13 percentage points
	Predecessor school's final year (2007) was 12%
	7 ULT academies show improvements of more than 10 percentage points
	Sheffield Academies criticised by Ofsted make strong progress:
	Sheffield Springs Academy breaks through National Challenge and rises from 23% to 32.4%
	Sheffield Park Academy breaks through National Challenge threshold and rises from 25% to 31%

Significant improvements at 5+ A* - C:

	ULT academies - average increase of 10.5 percentage points (rising from 62.6% - 73.1%):
	17% improvement
	Swindon Academy increases from 41% to 75%
	Salford City Academy increases from 58% to 77%

Commenting on the results, Sir Ewan Harper, Chief Executive of the United Learning Trust, said: “These outstanding GCSE results are a huge credit to all the staff and students in our academies who are rightly celebrating their successes today. There are some truly exceptional results where previously underperforming schools in some of the most deprived areas of the country have been transformed into strong, thriving academies. More than anything, today’s results demonstrate this success.

“We have taken some of the most challenging schools in the country and have turned them into highly respected academies where staff and children are encouraged to believe in themselves and achieve success.

“What has been achieved in Barnsley, Walthamstow and Paddington, for example, did not happen when these schools were under their previous management. Each was a school that local people had given up on. But the impetus, courage and commitment shown by our staff to change the culture and turn these into thriving academies has meant that all three have great cause for celebration today.

“18 months ago we restructured our academies’ operations in the light of the experience we had already gained in enabling schools to accelerate their improvement. Early signs of this were apparent 12 months ago. Last October we told the then Secretary of State for Education, that we were on course to make the improvements announced today. Our data tracking for each individual child was clearly pointing towards it but he would not accept this. We are delighted to have delivered the improvement we expected and promised and now look forward to engaging with the growth of the academy movement under the new coalition government.

“Our results today show how important independence is for academies. Ours have been nurtured and encouraged to break away from their previous cultures of failure. We have applied processes and methods which have been proved and tested through our own experience across our Group. These results show that children in areas of deprivation do have the ability to perform at high levels and equip themselves for further education or the workplace. Our results are providing the foundations for flourishing sixth forms - often in schools which have never had one before. As a result this year the United Learning Trust will have its first students at Cambridge University.  

“As trust in the United Learning Trust grows, so do the cohorts taking exams. Our numbers taking GCSEs this year increased from 2,195 to 2,645.  Those taking A-levels and equivalents rose from 376 last year to 674. Few of these children would have been able to stay on for sixth form at the predecessor schools, or would have been encouraged to study elsewhere. Our improved results are therefore covering a greater number of students and helping to ensure that more young people are receiving an improving quality of education”.