PUPILS in Worcestershire did better in their GCSEs this year compared to 2017.
Initial data provided by the County Council shows 67 per cent of students in Worcestershire attained a standard pass in English and Maths.
In 2017, the figure was 65.5 per cent.
A total of 44.3 per cent of children in the county gained grades 5 or above in both English and Maths.
Councillor Marcus Hart, Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Education and Skills, said: “With the new grading format only in its second year, it is difficult to compare this year’s results, with those of previous years.
“However, based on the previous framework, results are improving and this is a great achievement. I would like to congratulate all the staff and pupils working and studying hard in our schools.”
In the new grading format introduced in 2017, the old A*-G grades have been replaced with a 9-1 system (9 being the highest and 1 the lowest). The first grades under this new system were awarded in English and maths in 2017 and have been rolled out to more subjects in 2018.
A grade 4 (or standard pass) indicates a similar level of achievement to the old C grade. A grade 5 (or strong pass) under the new system is similar to a high C or low B in the old system.
The results mirror the success in the A Level exams where once again students in Worcestershire did better than in 2017.
In 2018, the average A-level grade in Worcestershire was between a B and a C. In 2017, the average grade was a C.
The 2018 national data for A Levels shows a decline in the number of students achieving the top grades with those gaining A* to C in A-levels dropping to 78.4 per cent from 79 per cent last year.
In England, A-levels have been moving away from coursework and returning to students being graded on final exams.
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