School results flatline

A KEY school exam result score stalled at Solihull schools last year but is still above the national average.

A total 54.4 per cent of borough children got five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and maths.

While up from 50.5 per cent in 2006, this was 54.6 per cent last year. Click here for details of all schools.

Schools in Solihull town and Knowle again performed well above the national average.

Arden School, Knowle fell from 86 to 84 per cent while Tudor Grange School went from 90 to 91.
Alderbrook Leading Edge School and Arts College went from 64 to 58 while St Peter's Catholic School and Specialist Science College went from 77 to 76.

The national average for English state schools was 48.9 per cent.

In a press release, Councillor Bob Sleigh, deputy leader of the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council said, said: “It gives me great pleasure to see that, yet again, Solihull’s students have reaped the rewards of all their hard work with these excellent results.

“Well done to all of them, and also to their parents and of course teachers for their continued support.”

Meriden MP Caroline Spelman, whose constituency includes Arden School, said she was ‘very proud’ of the results.

She said: “None of this happens by chance: so it’s congratulations to the pupils, parents, teachers, and to Solihull Council which attains such high standards in local education.

“We see quite clearly why Solihull Borough remains a popular place to live and bring up families.”

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Figures: schools keep suspending, not expelling

MORE pupils are being repeatedly suspended and fewer expelled, figures obtained by The Silhillian show, echoing fears that teachers are unable to deal with bullies.

The number of pupils suspended more than once went from 55 in 2004/05 to 108 in 2008/09 at Alderbrook School, Blossomfield Road.

And they rose from 55 to 81 at Tudor Grange School, a Freedom of Information Act request shows.

But permanent exclusions fell from four to two at Alderbrook over the five year period and from six to zero at Tudor Grange.

Critics say this means troublesome children are continuing to cause problems instead of being expelled. The Government has demanded schools reduce expulsions.

Meriden MP Caroline Spelman this week pointed to figures which show 30 borough pupils were expelled in 2007/08. Yet she said half of children were likely to be bullied.

She said: “Since 1997, Labour Government rules have deliberately made it more difficult for schools to expel pupils, undermining the authority of head teachers and meaning bullies end up back at the same school as their victims.”

Pledging a Tory “zero tolerance” approach, Mrs Spelman added: “The key to tackling bullying is giving Solihull’s teachers the powers they need to crack down on bad behaviour.

“But under Labour, the balance of power in the classroom has shifted too far in favour of disruptive pupils.”

The borough figures show most suspensions were for “persistent disruptive behaviour”, then verbal abuse or threatening behaviour to an adult and then physical assault of a pupil.

But Children’s minister Kevin Brennan has said the trend shows “early intervention and a reduction in the most serious incidents of bad behaviour”.

He said: “Heads are taking shorter, sharper action to improve behaviour to nip problems in the bud before it gets more serious, with most suspensions being for just two or three days.”

The Silhillian’s figures show the number of pupils suspended more than once fell at Arden School, Knowle, from 34 in 2004/05 to 25 in 2008/09. One was expelled both years.

The suspensions also fell from 65 to 41 at St Peter's Catholic School. Expulsions fell from four to two.

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Glowing school inspection for St Peter's

ST PETER’S Catholic School and Specialist Science College has been rated good by inspectors, the third highest rating out of a possible four.

An Ofsted inspection last month found the Whitefields Road, Solihull school to be a “good with many outstanding features”.

It found: “Staff, governors and students are actively involved in making this a strongly inclusive school which effectively raises the aspirations of its students and staff alike.”

Yet it said “opportunities are missed” to for teachers to share “outstanding” practice.

It said: “Teachers indulge in over-long explanations and pose questions that do not always broaden the students' thinking.”

Read the full report here.