SCHOOLS in the Dudley area have produced mixed results in the latest league tables released earlier today (Thursday January 23).

Ellowes Hall Sports College in Stickley Lane, Lower Gornal, topped the borough’s secondary school exam results chart with a 79 per cent pass rate for five GCSEs including English and maths.

Across the borough results looked good, with more children getting five or more GCSE passes including English and maths than ever before with a rate of 59.7 per cent, improving on the previous best of 56.1 per cent.

Councillor Tim Crumpton, Dudley cabinet member for children, libraries and lifelong learning, said: “These are impressive results, which clearly demonstrate how hard our young people and schools are working.

“It is a tribute to the professionalism of our teachers and we are working hard with them to get all of our schools to the same standard. I want to put on record my thanks to all concerned.”

However cllr Crumpton added there were still issues with schools in the central and north Dudley area which could do better to reach his ambitious target for Ofsted assessment.

He said: “I wish there was an easy answer, it is not all about teachers, it is about society and parents’ ability to help. It is about getting in early and seeing those improvements work through the system.”

He added: “Maths is a concern in Dudley, I want to see how we can share best practices. In two years I want all our schools to have scores of good from Ofsted.

“If we don’t get it I will want to know why.”