A total of 282 secondary schools in England are deemed to be failing by the government, having dropped below a new set of national standards.
One of the schools is Hassenbrook Academy in Stanford-le-Hope. Only 32% of students gained 5 or more GCSE’s at A* to C (inc English and Maths).
From this year, schools are being judged by new measures, which take greater account of pupil progress than raw results.
The Department for Education says the measures present a clearer picture of how well schools are performing.
Up until this year, schools have been rated predominantly by raw GCSE results, based on what proportion of pupils get five A* to C GCSEs, including English and maths.
Now, a new measure is being used, based on GCSE results from grades A* to G across eight subjects, known as Attainment 8, along with another measure, known as Progress 8.
Progress and Attainment 8 measure how a student progresses through secondary school, taking into account their ability at the end of primary school.
Most schools will achieve a score between -1 and 1, with 0 being average.
However, last year 312 schools were considered to be failing under the old benchmark measure.
This year, secondary schools are considered under-performing if their Progress 8 score is below -0.5 and below a further complex calculation that shows government statisticians are confident that score is accurate.
Depending on individual scores, schools will be placed in one of five bands for progress – average, above average, well above average, below average or well below average. Parents are likely to find these descriptors easier to read than the raw numbers.
The good news is that eight of the nine schools in Thurrock have passed.
Hassenbrook Academy are not available for comment.
1. Harris Academy: Well above national average: 0.75
2. Grays Convent: Above national average: 0.37
3. St Clere’s: Above average: 0.19
3. Ockendon Academy: Average: 0.05
4. William Edwards: Average: 0.02
5. Gable Hall: Average: 0.06
6. Ormiston Park: Average: 0.02
7. Hathaway Academy: Below national average: -0.34
8. Gateway Academy: Below national average: -0.35
9. Hassenbrook Academy: Well below national average: 0.53
