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Thousands of pupils leaving Wolverhampton in search for better education

More than 2,500 secondary school pupils left Wolverhampton to look for a better education in the last academic year.

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The city has recently produced its worst ever performance in the school league tables, with its secondary schools falling 75 places to 145th in the national performance rankings.

Now it has emerged that a total of 2,596 pupils left the city's education system over the last year to attend schools elsewhere.

A total of 1,073 have come into Wolverhampton from outside the city, a net difference of 1,523.

Wolverhampton's education chief, Councillor Phil Page, revealed the figures in response to a question from Tory councillor Paul Singh at a full council meeting.

Conservative leader Wendy Thompson, said the numbers paint a dim picture of the education system in the city.

She said: "We know that every day coaches full of children are leaving Wolverhampton to go to school elsewhere.

"Parents are not finding the education that they would like for their children here.

"These figures need to be heavily analysed by the council, they need to find out key areas and demographics that are leaving and look at what they can do to get them back.

"What type of schools these pupils are going to is something that should be looked into also, are they offering something we can't in Wolverhampton?

"We are bringing in children from other areas so we can see that it is possible but we need to see these figures changed, we need to be attracting more pupils."

"This is an important issue for Wolverhampton and one that has been neglected for too long.

"The local authority needs to pick up the ball and not ignore it. It cannot continue to be complacent."

In recent years increasing numbers of parents have sought places in schools outside the city.

Schools in Sedgley, Codsall and Brewood have proved popular, while some children are going as far as Shropshire in search of quality education.

Oldbury Wells School in Bridgnorth and the outstanding rated Thomas Telford School in Telford are both popular destinations for Wolverhampton's youngsters.

Last year in Wolverhampton 46.4 per cent of pupils achieved the minimum expected grades of five A* to C at GCSE, including English and maths.

This was a drop of 14.6 per cent on the previous years results and more than 10 per cent below the national average.

Wolverhampton currently has only two outstanding rated secondary schools.

Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Gulraj Kular said the number of pupils leaving the city had reduced in recent years.

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