Schools ranked by raw GCSE results for last time
Schools in England are being judged on the basis of raw GCSE results for the last time, heralding the end of school league tables in their present form.
Head teachers are welcoming changes that means from next year, schools will be measured on a broader range of results across eight subjects.
The government says schools have risen to its moves to toughen standards.
The number of schools falling below the current floor standard has remained stable at 312.
Secondary schools are "underperforming" if fewer than 40% of pupils get five GCSEs at grade A*-C, including English and maths, and if the school has a below average score for pupils' progress.
The data is based on examinations taken last summer.
Overall, there was a small rise in the percentage of pupils gaining five good GCSEs, including English and maths, to 57.1% - up from 56.6% in 2014, the data shows.
Head teachers have long complained measuring success on the basis of GCSE results alone is unfair as it does not take into account the intake of the school.
But ministers have maintained parents want and need simple and easy-to-digest information about schools.
The difference in achievement by gender is startling, with roughly a fifth fewer boys than girls reaching the end of Key Stage 4 with a good set of GCSEs in state schools.
Some 61.8% of girls got five good GCSEs, including English and maths, compared with 52.5% of their male peers.
And fewer boys than girls made at least the expected level of progress - 65.9% of boys opposed to 76.5% of girls.
More girls (29.3%) than boys achieved the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), which requires GCSEs in two sciences, a language, history or geography, as well as English and maths. Only 19.5% of boys obtained it.
Overall, 24.3% of pupils achieved the EBacc.
There was also a marked difference between the performance of disadvantaged pupils (those eligible for the pupil premium) and their more advantaged peers, with just 36.7% getting five good GCSEs, including maths and English, compared to 64.7%.
Progress 8
From next year, schools in England will be measured on what is known as Progress 8. Progress 8 will replace the five or more good GCSEs, including maths and English, benchmark as the key measure for all secondary schools.
Progress 8 assesses the progress pupils make between Key Stage 2 tests taken at the end of primary school and their performance in a specified mixture of eight subjects at the end of secondary school. Schools will be given a score based on how their pupils have progressed compared to the national average
BBC article
