League tables recognise progress at Sidmouth College says principal

GCSE exam league tables, published last week, have placed Sidmouth College in the top 20 of Devon’s secondary schools.

And, says its principal, Jeremy Roberts: “Everybody is really pleased to see that the league tables recognise the progress that is being made at the college.”

He said the league tables, which put Colyton Grammar in the number one slot for gaining five good GCSEs, “can never capture the full extent of what schools offer young people, but it is good to see that the snapshot that they provide offers us so much encouragement.”

Some 62 percent of students gained five good GCSE grades, and 65 percent gained five good GCSEs or equivalent, both including maths and English.

This is above the national average of 58.2 percent and Devon’s 51.8 percent, putting the college in 17th place.

It also saw 72 percent of students gain three A-level grades.

Mr Roberts said: “As there are a number of schools and colleges that have not reported results, we must of course treat ranking and positions with even greater care than normal.

“The staff and students of the college deserve enormous credit for the achievement that this represents. Their commitment and dedication is the key to it all.

“We are certainly not complacent and recognise that there is still more that we can do to support and challenge students to achieve.

“We are continually refining our systems to improve the outcomes for young people. With the support of parents and the active engagement of students we recognise that the quality of learning is our major focus.”

This week Government announced thousands of vocational qualifications, including Btec exams, would be taken out of school league tables published from January 2015.