GCSE underachievement isthe norm at city schools

Less than half of the GCSE pupils at all but two of Londonderry’s non-grammar secondary schools achieved five or more A to C grades, including English and Mathematics last year, it’s been revealed.
The true scale of the problem of violence in the classroom is not known by the public, the UTU conference has heard.The true scale of the problem of violence in the classroom is not known by the public, the UTU conference has heard.
The true scale of the problem of violence in the classroom is not known by the public, the UTU conference has heard.

Figures for 2013, which have been released under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, show that whilst St Patrick’s and St Brigid’s High School, Claudy, (53 per cent) and St Cecilia’s College (51.9 per cent) helped more than half of their Year 12s achieve five GCSEs A to C (including English and Maths) this wasn’t replicated in the city’s other six secondary schools.

At Lisneal College just 25 per cent of last year’s fifth years achieved five or more GCSEs, (including English and Maths) whilst at Oakgrove College the figure stood at 45.8 per cent.

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Meanwhile, the other secondary school in the Waterside - Immaculate Conception College - posted the second worst attainment rate in Northern Ireland at GCSE level (11.8 per cent).

Only Orangefield High School in Belfast (10 per cent) had fewer pupils achieving five or more GCSEs A to C (including English and Maths).

Across the Foyle, St Brigid’s College was the school with the highest percentage of pupils entitled to free meals in Northern Ireland in 2012/13 (64.3 per cent).

Twenty-one per cent of its GCSE pupils achieved five or more GCSEs A to C (including English and Maths).

Whilst at St Mary’s College the figure was 40.9 per cent and the figure for St Joseph’s Boys’ School was 23.7 per cent.

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