Record results for region's academies

ACADEMIES across Yorkshire have celebrated record results with several schools surpassing the national benchmark for GCSEs for the first time.

All schools have been expected to get at least 30 per cent of pupils to achieve five good grades – including English and maths but three academies in Yorkshire run by the same charity have failed to achieve this since opening in 2006.

Now Sheffield Park, Sheffield Springs and the Barnsley Academy are all celebrating meeting the target after pupils discovered their GCSE results yesterday.

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Barnsley Academy saw a massive increase in the number of students picking up at least five good GCSEs, including English and maths, with 51 per cent making the grade. Last year less than 20 per cent of its 16-year-olds reached this standard. More than 90 per cent of the academy's pupils also got five A* to C GCSEs in any subjects in yesterday's results.

The school's principal Dave Berry said: "We are absolutely thrilled with this improvement. Staff and students have worked exceptionally hard to over the past year and today's results are proof of that. They show the academy has made a breakthrough and is firmly established on the right path to become an outstanding school."

Sheffield Park, which became the first academy to go into special measures in Yorkshire last year, saw 31 per cent of pupils achieving five good GCSEs including English and maths while Sheffield Springs saw 33 per cent of its students making the grade – a 10 per cent increase on its results last year.

Sheffield Park's principal Andrew Cooper, said: "Everyone is delighted with these encouraging results which are testament to the hard work of students and staff."

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Jane Miles, principal at Sheffield Springs Academy, said: "These results bring us above the National Challenge target and I congratulate all our students on their wonderful achievements today."

Kathy August, the deputy chief executive of the United Learning Trust, which sponsors the schools said: "We are very pleased with these results which are strong proof that solid progress is being made at the academies."

Trinity Academy in Thorne, near Doncaster, celebrated its best ever results yesterday. This year 63 per cent of pupils achieved five good GCSEs, including English and maths, compared with 19 per cent five years ago.

Principal Ian Brew said: "These are still the kids from Thorne and Moorends – they're the same children, and this has been achieved by them.

"This has been done through sheer hard work. Children with lower potential are treated no differently than children with a higher potential."