Concern raised over outcomes for Northumberland school pupils despite strong Ofsted performance

Figures from the county council show that by the end of Key Stage 2 – when a child is 11 – just 56% of pupils had achieved the expected standard in reading, writing and maths. This was a decline on 2023 and 4.7% below the national average.

By the end of Key Stage 4, where GCSEs are sat, 64% of pupils achieved a Grade 4 or above, compared to 65.4% nationally. 41.5% achieved a grade 5 or above, compared to 45.5% across the UK.

However, of the 60 schools inspected in Northumberland by the education watchdog between September 2023 and July 2024, 52 were judged to be good or outstanding.

Just four schools moved to grades below good, meaning 94% of the county’s schools are good or outstanding – 3% above the national average.

Speaking at a meeting of the council’s family and children’s services scrutiny committee, ex-headteacher Alan Hodgson questioned the disparity.

He said: “Academic outcomes are not what we would be expecting. We’re not making the sort of progress we would be expecting.

“Ninety-four per-cent of schools are good or outstanding, but nationally and regionally we are not getting the outcomes.”

“Attendance is still pulling us back. The link between attendance and outcomes is so strong.

“I’m also concerned about exclusions. A few years ago they were frighteningly high, and I asked at the time whether we had enough alternative provision.

“We have disappointing outcomes, fantastic Ofsted and quite high exclusions.”

A report presented to the committee highlighted that there had been a 35% increase in the number of permanent exclusions from 105 in the 2022/23 academic year to 142 in 2023/24. The report also identified improving school attendance as a “priority”.

Director of education David Street said: “We’re in line and not dramatically different to our North East colleagues, but there are better outcomes in other parts of the country.

“London in particular has shown a sharper bounce back from Covid. The North East hasn’t recovered and bounced back as well as some areas.

“We have extremely high aspirations for our academic outcomes. We are looking at averages and we have some exceptionally strong outcomes in some schools.”