League tables put Hartlepool school in top ten national primaries

The primary school league tables, published this week, put the town above the national average.

Figures showed across the country 61% of 11-year-old met the Government’s targets in reading, writing and maths.

However, in Hartlepool the figure was 65%.

And, celebrating being top of the tables for the town was Greatham CE Primary School, where 100% of pupils gained the benchmark in all three areas.

This put the school in the top ten performing primaries in England.

Headteacher, Nicola Dunn, said they were really delighted with the outcome.

She said: “We are really pleased that we are top in the town. It is all down to the hard work of our staff.

“The children did exceptionally well and we are really proud of them. We are confident that they are well prepared for their secondary education.”

Ms Dunn said the school was also recently given a glowing report from Ofsted inspectors, who rated it as good overall with some outstanding features.

She said: “I am so proud of everybody here at the school.”

Coun Alan Clark, chairman of Hartlepool Borough Council’s Children’s Services Committee, said: “After the local and national uncertainties of 2016 over SATs exams in a new curriculum, it is pleasing to note that standards have risen this year and, generally.

“Hartlepool primary schools are performing at or above national benchmarks once again.

“Children in Hartlepool get off to a good start in their early years and the proportion of children reaching the national benchmark of a Good Level of Development is in line with the national average.

“We are continuing to strengthen this further through initiatives such as the recently-launched Talk Matters programme.

“Children’s understanding of letters and the sounds that they make (phonics) at the end of Year 1 was above the national average in 2017 and at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2) the proportion of children at the age-related expectation in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with the national average.

“Children made good progress in key stage 2, especially in reading and mathematics.  At the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6) the proportion of children at the age-related expectation was above the national average this summer, with real strength in mathematics, 81% of children in Hartlepool compared with 75% nationally. This means that the great majority of Hartlepool children are well prepared for the transition to secondary school.

“However, absence remains a stubborn issue for some children and families, and I would urge all parents and carers in Hartlepool to ensure that children attend school regularly.

“We and the government have set very high standards around school attendance, but there are some schools where around 1 in 5 children have less than 90% attendance.  This means that across the school year these children miss the equivalent of a whole morning or afternoon every single week.

“The council continues to work closely with individual schools and groups of schools to ensure that improvements continue, while schools continue to support each other to get

better too, learning from the very best practice in each other’s schools.”

Nationally the number of primary school pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths has risen.

Across England, 61% of 11-year-olds who sat this year’s Sats - or national curriculum tests - met Government targets in all three areas compared with 53% last year, according to the Department for Education (DfE).

School Standards Minister Nick Gibb said the results showed teachers and pupils have “responded well to the new more rigorous curriculum”.

He said: “Teachers and pupils have responded well to the new more rigorous curriculum introduced by this Government and these pupils were the first to benefit from the new approach to phonics.”

He added: “There are now 1.9 million more children in good or outstanding schools than in 2010, with nine out of 10 primary schools given this rating at their last inspection.

“This means that pupils are now leaving primary school better prepared for the rigours of secondary school and for future success in their education.”