‘Outstanding’ A-Level Success at Whitley Bay High School

Whitley Bay High School is delighted with the outstanding success of their students at A Level again this year.

Over 230 students sat A Level examinations this year and 21% of grades were A* or A grades and half of all grades were A*, A  or B grades. 22 students achieved three or more A*/A grades. The average point score per entry was 89.1 and the point score per student was 319. These figures are in line with last year’s results that placed Whitley Bay High School as one of the best state school Sixth Forms in the country – a judgement confirmed by its outstanding OFSTED Report in March 2010.

This was the first year of the A* grade at A Level where students must achieve over 90% on the second year of the A Level course. The school is particularly pleased that 30 students achieved at least one A* grade and 41 A* grades were achieved in total.

Steve Wilson (Director of Sixth Form) stated that "these results are a reflection of the very hard work and commitment of the students and staff at the school. Students achieve these results while also taking part in an array of extra-curricular activities in sport, drama and music that are on offer at the school. Our students thoroughly deserve their success and they are a credit to the school. Over 200 students have applied to university all over the country and will be studying subjects as diverse as medicine, law, bio-medical science, drama, dentistry, pharmacy, psychology, sport science and engineering to name but a few. It has been a pleasure to work with such a talented group of students."

The school will be offering a Post A Level Advice service for students this week and next, should students require any help after receiving their results.

 
A new record at GCSE!

Whitley Bay High School is celebrating breaking the 90% barrier for the first time today in that 91% of students in Year 11 achieved 5 or more GCSE passes at grades A*-C. “This is phenomenal achievement at the end of a fantastic year,” according to Adam Chedburn, Headteacher. “We were delighted with our OFSTED report in March but this is even better,” he said. A staggering 49 students achieved 8 or more GCSE grades at A & A* and a fantastic 99% achieved at least one higher grade. These are among the best overall results in North Tyneside with only Churchill Community College equalling the global figure. Mr Chedburn and many of the schools staff spent the morning congratulating the Year 11 students who have done the school so proud once again.

‘Outstanding’ across the board for Whitley Bay High School

Whitley Bay High School in North Tyneside has achieved a clean sweep of ‘outstanding’ grades across the board in its latest Ofsted inspection – making it the first secondary school in England to do so since the launch of Ofsted’s new and rigorous inspection framework last year.

The inspection outcome confirms the position of Whitley Bay High School in the top flight of high performing schools nationally

Under the new Ofsted inspection regime introduced last September, only 9 per cent of schools nationally have been judged to be ‘outstanding’.

In the case of Whitley Bay High School, an ‘outstanding’ grade was awarded in every single one of the 31 individual categories of assessment underpinning the overall judgement – a national first.

Whitley Bay High School is a mixed 13-18 community comprehensive, with some 1600 students, including over 500 in the sixth form.

As well as the sweep of ‘outstanding’ grades, inspectors also commented extremely favourably on a wide range of aspects of the school, notably:

  • Its strong ethos of respect, which permeates the school
  • Innovative, exciting and varied teaching
  • Students’ extremely positive attitude to learning and exemplary behaviour
  • Outstanding care, guidance and support
  • Outstanding achievement and high attainment across all groups of students, and across all subjects
  • Students’ involvement in collaborative learning
  • Its popular, over-subscribed and outstandingly successful sixth form which has exceptional retention rates, with many students moving on to higher education and a very large majority achieving their first choice of university
  • High involvement in the local community
  • Parents’ and carers’ support of the school and firm belief that their children were safe and enjoyed school

Inspectors also noted that the school is not complacent about its performance and has comprehensive development plans in place to improve even further.

The report finally concluded that Whitley Bay High was overall ‘an outstanding school that works closely in partnership with its students to provide them with a first class education.’

Whitley Bay High School’s Chair of Governors, Paul Mitchell, said: “The government has really raised the bar with its new inspection framework. These tougher standards, according to many Headteachers and local authorities, have made it increasingly difficult for schools to be recognised and graded as ‘outstanding’. For Whitley Bay High School to achieve outstanding in all 31 categories, under this new and rigorous regime, truly sets the school apart.

“This remarkable outcome is a huge credit to the school’s teaching and support staff, its subject leaders, the Headteacher and leadership team, the governing body, the parent body and most of all to the students themselves.”

Cllr George Westwater, North Tyneside Council’s Cabinet member for Children, Young People and Learning, added: “This highly successful school has a very distinctive, collaborative relationship with the local authority in setting and driving-up standards. We are delighted that its exemplary practice is leading the way nationally.”

The latest inspection can be viewed on the OFSTED website in full by clicking here