Schools beat GCSE national average

Schools in central Somerset are well above the county average for pupils leaving with five or more GSCEs.

The average for the county is 51.5 per cent, but local schools came in well above that figure.

For Crispin School in Street, 61 per cent of their pupils left school with five or more A*-C grades in their GCSEs, and 62 per cent left school with an A*-C in English and Maths – up one per cent on last year's figures.

St Dunstan's School in Glastonbury saw 55 per cent of their pupils leave school with five or more A*-C grades, and 56 per cent walk away with passes in English and Maths – up eight per cent from last year.

At Crispin School, 99 per cent of pupils left with at least one A-C grade at GCSE level, while it was 100 per cent for pupils at St Dunstan's School.

On average, St Dunstan's School was spending £5,354 on each pupil, while for Crispin, that figure was £4,629.

In a white paper published last year, the coalition raised the basic target for schools to a threshold of 35 per cent of pupils achieving five GCSEs at grade A*-C, including English and maths.

Jo Stephenson, head teacher at St Dunstan's School, said she was delighted with the school's ranking.

"As far as we're concerned, this is official acknowledgment of the hard work put in by the students at our school," she said.

"For us, the league tables are a way of saying 'the results are there for you to see – this is proof of what our students have been achieving – so why not come and have a look at us?"

The head teacher at Crispin School, Paul James said: "At Crispin our curriculum has continued to be based largely on GCSE qualifications with only a few vocational courses which we have introduced to broaden our curriculum and meet the needs of all our learners.

"Nevertheless, we believe that the curriculum we offer has integrity and academic rigour which is in the best interest of the education of our pupils.

"The result of this can be seen when one looks at the crucial measure of five or more A*-C grades at GCSE including English and Mathematics.

"We always excel by this measure resulting in all our pupils leaving us well qualified to make the most of the next phase of their education.

"The progress that our pupils make in the core subjects is certainly well above the national average.

"What's most important, in my opinion, is that head teachers and their schools pursue excellence in teaching and learning and always put children's education first."

Figures for the schools' first year as an academy are not yet available.