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Celebrations in Sussex as GCSE pass rates rise again

2:00pm Wednesday 13th January 2010

By Emily-Ann Elliott

Pupils and teachers will be celebrating today as the 2009 GCSE and A-level league tables are published.

Dorothy Stringer School in Loder Road, Brighton, was named as Brighton and Hove’s top state school for its GCSE pass rate in last summer’s exams.

Two thirds – 66% – of its pupils achieved at least five passes at grades A* to C, including English and maths.

Brian Orrells, the school’s acting headteacher, said: “We are extremely delighted.

This is the tenth consecutive year of rising results for the school.

“This is obviously tremendous news for us.

We are very pleased for the pupils who have put in the hard work, their parents who have supported them and our staff who have taught them.”

Brighton College in Eastern Road was the top overall school in Sussex, with 99% of pupils achieving five A* to C passes, including English and maths.

Headmaster Richard Cairns said: “This is wonderful news.

These are the best results of any school in the South East.”

Brighton and Hove’s special schools scored well in the value-added rate, used to show pupils’ progress between joining at 11 and taking their GCSE or equivalent exams.

The Cedar Centre in Lynchet Close, Brighton, achieved the best valueadded rate.

Headteacher Sue Furdas said: “All our youngsters have learning difficulties and it’s through providing them with appropriate BTEC coursework that we have done so well.

We are really proud of their achievements.”

Other schools celebrating improvements include Patcham High in Ladies Mile Road, Brighton, where 37% of pupils gained five grade A* to C passes, including maths and English, up from 28% last year, Longhill in Rottingdean, where the figure rose from 36% last year to 41%, and Falmer High in Lewes Road, Brighton, which sawits pass rate rise from 19% to 25%.

Those not faring so well include Hove Park School in Nevill Road, where results dropped from 36% last year to 27%, putting it into the Government’s National Challenge scheme for struggling schools.

Some schools in the table are ranked at 0% for the proportion of candidates getting five passes at A* to C at GCSE.

Some were private sector schools which chose not to submit figures, while others take different exams and so do not meet the criteria.