islington news: council | under fire | GCSE results | 'worst in London' | Cllr Richard Watts

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

Islington Tribune - by RóISíN GADELRAB
Published: 23 January 2009

GCSE results ‘worst in London’

Council under fire as they renew contract with private firm who run schools

EDUCATION chiefs have come under fire for extending the contract with the private company that runs the borough’s schools after it was revealed Islington is bottom of the capital’s GCSE league tables.
Headteachers have jumped to the defence of Cambridge Education, insisting the company is partly to thank for improving results in schools which, statistically, are getting better at more than double the national rate.
The company was handed a contract extension until 2013 by senior councillors last Thursday.
The renewal was confirmed despite warnings from Labour’s education spokesman, Councillor Richard Watts, who has questioned the wisdom of extending the contract when government figures show Islington came bottom in the London-wide league table.
Cllr Watts said: “The results are improving but everyone else is improving better.
“It’s exactly the wrong time to renew Cambridge Education’s contract when we should be trying to keep them on their toes.
“We should be looking to see if other providers can do it better, not least if in-house council staff can do the job.”
Liberal Democrat education chief Councillor Paula Belford admitted there were problems, adding: “The results are disappointing and need to be worked on.
“The results are not dreadful but there are areas where we need to be making an improvement.”
Paul Curran, director of children’s services, said: “Islington had its best-ever GCSE results last year.
“There is a consistent pattern of improvement.”
Individual schools were celebrating despite the borough’s rock bottom position in the tables.
Danny Coyle, deputy headteacher at St Aloysius College, whose school is now in the top 8 per cent of London schools for contextual value added (CVA) results – a formula which measures how much a child has improved during their time at the school – said: “This school was in special measures and it was Cambridge Education’s intervention that put in the present head and governors that have put us on the path to success.
“Our school’s performance has been stunningly good.”
Highbury Grove School saw a dramatic rise of 17 per cent, with a best-ever result for the school of 62 per cent of students gaining five or more GCSE grades A*- C or equivalent.
Headteacher Truda White said: “These are the best results our school has ever produced at GCSE level.
“Students worked really hard for these exams so I’m delighted for them – and for all the staff and parents who supported them. The brilliant results reflect that.”

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment: