Highfields has maintained its position among Wolverhampton’s top schools for both attainment and pupil progress in provisional performance tables released by the Government.
The tables are based on this year’s GCSE results, which are currently being finalised, and have been released ahead of official league tables in the new year.
Our Attainment 8 score of 51.1 out of 80 puts Highfields among the top three schools in Wolverhampton, whilst it ranks second of the city’s non-selective schools in the city under the Progress 8 measure. Progress 8 looks at the advances a student makes from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school, comparing their results with the achievements of other youngsters with the same prior attainment. Indicators show Highfields has a Progress 8 score of +0.51, meaning students achieved on average around half a grade more in their GCSEs than their peers elsewhere.
The headline Attainment 8 and Progress 8 measures were introduced by the Government in 2016 to mark students’ progress and achievement over eight GCSE subjects, replacing previous calculations which ranked schools based on the percentage of students achieving grade C or higher in five GCSE subjects.
Headteacher, Mr Graham Tate, said: “We are pleased with the provisional performance tables which indicate Highfields is among the top schools in Wolverhampton for both progress and attainment. It is testament to the continuing hard work of our students and staff.
“Our current Year 11 students are already working hard in preparation for their exams next year to maintain Highfields’ excellent academic standards.”
A new grading system was introduced for this year’s GCSEs which saw traditional A*-G grades replaced with 1-9 gradings in Maths, English Language and English Literature. Highfields saw 109 students achieving the highest gradings of 7 or above in English or Maths. (Grade 7 is equivalent to an A grade/ Grade 8 is equivalent to A* and Grade 9 is the new highest attainment grade)
A staggering 90% of students achieved a Grade 4-9 in English, with 72% of students achieving a Grade 4-9 in both English and Maths. Half of all students achieved the new strong pass of Grade 5 and above in both subjects. This is the highest for both 9-4 and 9-5 gradings amongst non-selective schools in the city.
Thirty students achieved the highest Grade 9 rating in English Literature and English Language, out of just 13,000 nationally, whilst Gurkeerat Sandhu attained a 9 grading in English Literature, English Language and Maths - one of just 2,000 students nationally to do so. He also achieved another 5 A* and two A grades.
Sixty per cent of students achieved a Grade 7 and above, or an A* and A, whilst 32% of students got three or more 7-9 or A* and A grades.
