The best-performing schools in Rotherham have been named by new GCSE figures.
The Department for Education has released its new preliminary 2024/25 key stage 4 performance figures for state-funded secondary schools - meaning the country’s best performing schools of the most recent academic year can now be named. These look a little different than usual this year, too.
Schools have been sorted using their Attainment 8 score - a purely performance-based figure derived from learners’ results in up to eight GCSE subjects - rather than the usual improvement-based Progress 8 score. This couldn’t be calculated due to pandemic disruptions this cohort of learners faced.
To help local parents out, we’ve taken a look at the schools across the Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council area with the highest Attainment 8 scores this year. These scores go up to 90 and loosely align with GCSE 9-1 number grades.
Grades aren’t the only way to measure school success, so we’ve also made sure each one on our league table had a positive mark in its latest Ofsted inspection. These are soon set to change, but for now, we’ve only included schools with either a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ overall grade before last September, or positive ratings across all categories if they’ve been inspected since. This means that the quality of education, student behaviour and attitudes, school leadership and management, and safeguarding practices all met or exceeded official standards.
Here were the 9 Rotherham schools that came out on top:
1. Wickersley School and Sports College
This secondary academy in Wickersley tops the list, and was most recently rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 48.9 – compared to a local average of 41.8 and a national average of 45.9. | Google
2. St Bernard's Catholic High School
St Bernard’s Catholic High School is a secondary academy in Herringthorpe. It was most recently rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 48.7 – compared to a local average of 41.8 and a national average of 45.9. | Google
3. Wath Academy
This secondary academy in Wath-on-Dearne was most recently rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 47.7 – compared to a local average of 41.8 and a national average of 45.9. | Google
4. Oakwood High School
Oakwood is a secondary academy in Moorgate Road, and was most recently rated ‘good’ overall by Ofsted. In the 2024/25 school year, it had an Attainment 8 score of 47.4 – compared to a local average of 41.8 and a national average of 45.9. | National World