Well done to pupils, teachers and staff over GCSE results
9:23am Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Comment
IN the January 26 edition of The Bolton News, you ran an excellent article highlighting the continuing success of GCSE results in Bolton, entitled “Schools are on top form”.
As a part of the article, it was explained how Bolton School Boys Division rose from the bottom of the tables to the top after the Government finally recognised the maths iGCSE qualifications. However, the article then went on to say that “the increase would have helped raise the borough’s overall average”.
This is a misunderstanding of how the statistics are calculated, because whilst non-state schools, such as Bolton School, are included in the borough’s “league table”, they are not included in the Department of Education’s overall average figure for the borough.
Therefore, the overdue inclusion of Bolton School’s figures did not alter our overall average.
Young people in Bolton, at SATS and GCSE Level, now outperform the national average for all schools in Britain.
This is not due to a statistical glitch, but is down to the work carried out by dedicated head teachers, teachers and support staff who give their all to their students whilst facing an uncertain financial future themselves due to the government attacks on their pensions.
Support is also given by Bolton Council who provide a range of excellent services to schools.
This again is an area under attack by the Government’s determination to dismantle the important strategic role that local authorities provide.
Our schools and colleges have seen large investments in buildings and standards under the previous government, not to mention the huge emphasis on early years learning and children’s centres that has been developed since 1997. All of this investment and collaborative working is reaping the benefits into the greatest asset of all — our next generation.
I hope that this has clarified any possible misunderstandings and, once again, well done to the students and staff for their hard work and commitment.
Cllr Nick Peel Executive Member Children’s Services
