West Midlands youngsters notch up record exam results

Pupils in the West Midlands scored record GCSE and A-levels results.

The number of students who gained five or more good GCSE grades in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Birmingham rose this year to its record high.

Pass rates at A-level throughout the region also improved overall — although pupils in Birmingham did worse this year compared with last year. About 77 per cent of students in Wolverhampton got five or more A*-C grades in 2009-10 — up by 6.6 per cent on 2008-09.

The number of A-level students in the city who gained two or more passes has risen slightly to 83.2 per cent from 83.1 per cent.

In Dudley the figure of GCSE pupils achieving the top grades was 74.4 per cent, up from 65.3 per cent on last year. While 95.7 per cent of students pass two A-levels or more — up from 95 per cent in 2008-09.

Meanwhile in Birmingham, 81 per cent of students got good GCSE results, compared to 72 per cent during 2008-09.

But at A-level, the number of pupils gaining two or more passes fell from 94.3 per cent to 93.9 per cent across the second city.

Sandwell saw a nine per cent increase, with 74.4 per cent gaining good GCSE grades. While pupils gaining two or more passes at A-level was 87 per cent — up from 83.4 per cent.

In Walsall, 74.6 per cent received five or more A*-C grades, up from 64.1 per cent last year.

Students aged 16-18 gaining two or more passes at A-level was up from 86.1 per cent to 87.3 per cent.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said: "GCSEs are an important step in a young person's education, whether to further academic study, vocational education or into the workplace and training.

"A-levels are an important milestone in life and open up great opportunities for academic study in higher education and for future careers.

"They are a crucial measure of academic achievement and so we will work with universities and employers to ensure that these qualifications continue to meet their needs in the future."

Nationally, around 53 per cent of pupils achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A*-C including English and Maths, an increase of 3.3 per cent compared from 2008-09.

Meanwhile a total of 93.6 per cent of candidates achieved two A-level passes, compared with 95.1 per cent in 2008-09.

The provisional figures were released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families.