Press Releases

August 28 2009

GCSE exam results up again in east Manchester

GCSE results for young people in east Manchester have improved again this year thanks to hard work by local students and the massive capital investment in local high schools over the last few years.

Average results for the area's three secondary schools Wright Robinson, St Peters RC and Cedar Mount show that 65 per cent of pupils passed five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C this year compared with 64 per cent last year and 57 per cent in 2007.

This continues the upward trend over the last eight years which has seen the east Manchester average increase by 210% since 2001, with three in five pupils achieving five or more A* to C grade GCSEs compared to only one in five pupils in 2001.

Wright Robinson school on Abbey Hey Lane in Gorton has hit its highest level in terms of pupils attaining five or more A* to C GCSEs and has the third highest results in Manchester. One pupil at the school did tremendously well and achieved 17 A* GCSEs.

St Peters RC school, also in Gorton saw a further increase from its dramatic improvement last year with three quarters of pupils now achieving five or more A* to C grades. St Peters also now has the second highest results for mainstream schools in Manchester.

Eddie Smith, Chief Executive of New East Manchester, said: "We are delighted to see that young people in east Manchester are doing so well in their school learning and this is reflected in the improved GCSE results they have received this year.

"Raising attainment in schools plays a key part in regenerating east Manchester and equips students with the right skills to continue with further education and training or move into employment.

"New East Manchester is committed to supporting education in the area and the results reflect the massive investment in our high schools made by Manchester City Council over the past five years together with the excellent leadership of staff in the schools.

"There are also more new primary schools being rebuilt and work is well underway on the new 900-place East Manchester Academy which will open in Beswick during September 2010, all of which will help improve educational attainment in east Manchester."