Pupils from West London Free School receive their results
Students at secondary schools in Hammersmith & Fulham make excellent progress – well above the national average, according to figures released by the government this week.
H&F schools collectively achieved a 17 point lead over the national average on the ‘Progress 8’ measure of students’ exam performance.
The ‘Progress 8’ measure gives schools a score based on how students’ exam results compare with their performance when they arrived at the school at age 11.
It’s seen as the best measure of the difference schools make to their pupils’ education. The standard measure of the number of GCSEs gained makes no allowance for some schools taking more able students than others.
Sacred Heart High School put in the best performance in the borough this year on the progress measure, at 100 points above the national average. Fulham Cross Girls’ School also did extremely well at 85 points above average.
Hurlingham Academy (+54) London Oratory (+54), Lady Margaret (+52), Fulham College Boys’(+20) and West London Free School (+3) also exceeded the national average score.
“The students of Hammersmith & Fulham achieved excellent results this summer and I wish them every success in the future, but this measure is all about the performance of their schools,” says Cllr Sue Macmillan, the council’s cabinet member for education.
“It shows what a significant difference our hard working teachers, governors and school staff make to children’s lives and I’m particularly delighted to see Hurlingham Academy, Fulham Cross Girls’ and Fulham College Boys’ schools doing so well.
“It’s doubly impressive at a time when school budgets are more stretched than they’ve ever been and headteachers are having to make unacceptable choices to balance their budgets. These results are only possible because our teachers and school staff go way beyond their contractual duties to help their pupils succeed. I can’t thank them enough.”
On the more traditional measure of the number of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths, H&F schools also perform exceptionally well. The borough average was 68%, significantly above the national average of 56%
Peter Haylock, executive head at Fulham Cross and Fulham College Boys’ School, is also the chair of H&F’s Schools Forum. He says: “It is a true reflection of the hard work and dedication from both students and staff.
“Progress 8 is a good measure. it gives you a clear guide as to the progress students make from different starting points during their time in the school.
“Both Fulham Cross Girls' and Fulham College Boys' have seen a significant improvement in progress this year which shows just how well we work with students on a daily basis."
