We now know a little more about how individual schools across the country did in the most recent GCSE season - and quite a few Northumberland secondaries should be patting themselves on the back.
The Government has now released preliminary performance figures for state-funded secondary schools, for the 2024/25 school year. There are a few key differences this year, most notably the absence of improvement-based Progress 8 scores, which were unable to be calculated due to the pandemic disruptions this year’s GCSE candidates faced back in primary school.
Instead, the default metric used to compare school performance is their Attainment 8 scores - a purely performance-based figure derived from pupils’ results in up to eight GCSEs and other qualifications. These scores go up to 90 and loosely align with GCSE 9-1 number grades, with the national average being 45.9 this year - somewhere between the standard and strong passing grades of 4 to 5.
Across Northumberland, a number of local schools rose to the challenge and surpasses this average. To celebrate these high achievers and their wider school communities, we’ve created a league table detailing the highest achievers in the Northumberland County Council area.
Of course, grades aren’t the only measure of what makes a school a great place to learn. With this in mind, we’ve also checked to make sure each one included had a positive mark in its latest Ofsted inspection. These are set to change this month, but for now, we’ve only included schools with either a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ overall grade before last September, or positive ratings across all categories if they’ve been inspected since.
Here were the 9 Northumberland secondary schools which fit the bill:
1. Ponteland High School
At the top of the list is this secondary academy in Ponteland, most recently rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 52.9 – compared to a local average of 43.9 and a national average of 45.9. | Google
2. The King Edward VI School
Next up is the King Edward VI School in Morpeth, a secondary academy which takes pupils from the age of 13. In a recent Ofsted inspection, it was found to be ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ in all categories. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 52.1 – compared to a local average of 43.9 and a national average of 45.9. | Google
3. Queen Elizabeth High School
Queen Elizabeth High School is a secondary academy in Hexham, which also takes pupils from the age of 13. It was most recently rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 50.6 – compared to a local average of 43.9 and a national average of 45.9. | Queen Elizabeth High School/Supplied Photo: Queen Elizabeth High School
4. The Blyth Academy
As its name may suggest, this is a secondary academy in Blyth, most recently rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 49.2 – compared to a local average of 43.9 and a national average of 45.9. | Google