Meanwhile, the Department for Education (DfE) has published performance data for schools in England according to the percentage of pupils attaining a grade 5 – old high grade C – or above in their English and maths GCSEs.
The main percentage on which schools are ranked is determined by the proportion of pupils achieving a grade 5 (strong pass) in maths and English, although a percentage figure is also published for pupils achieving a grade 4 (standard pass/low old grade C) in the two core subjects.
Progress 8 remains another main performance benchmark on which secondary schools are judged.
It shows how much progress pupils made between the end of key stage 2 and key stage 4 based on results in up to eight qualifications.
A score above zero means pupils made more progress, on average, than pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.
Overall, Hartlepool’s 2024 cohort of 1,159 pupils achieved below those for England as a whole with 34.7% of students attaining a grade 5 or above in maths and English, compared to 45.9% in all state funded English schools.
The DfE says pupils included in this performance data will have experienced some disruption due to Covid-19 earlier in their schooling, which will have affected individual pupils and schools differently.
1. Easington Academy
Easington Academy in Stockton Road, Peterlee had the highest percentage of GCSE students earning grade 5 and above in maths and English with 55.3% and an 'average' Progress 8 score of -0.12. Photo: Google Photo: Google
2. Wellfield School
Students at Wellfield School, in Wingate, had the second highest GCSE maths and English grade 5 and above pass rate at 52.7% and an above average Progress 8 score of 0.3. Photo: Google
3. The Academy at Shotton Hall
The Academy at Shotton Hall, in Peterlee, saw 50.2% of students earn Grade 5 of above in GCSE maths and English, putting it 'well above' the England average for state-funded schools at 45.9%. Photo: Frank Reid
4. Dyke House Academy
Hartlepool's Dyke House Academy had the highest percentage of students achieving Grade 5 or above in GCSE English and maths at 47.2% which is above the local authority average of 34.7% and the England average for state schools of 45.9%. It had a Progress 8 score of -0.04 meaning pupils achieve a similar grade in each qualification on average compared to similar pupils across the country. Photo: Frank Reid