County’s schools are above regional and national average, says report

The Chief Inspector of Ofsted presented the report to parliament on Wednesday, which showed that children of all ages were achieving good outcomes while the percentage of good and outstanding schools in the county rose from 77% in August 2013 to 83% in August 2014.

Herts is in the top 25% nationally for the proportion of pupils making expected progress in English and maths while an additional 65.8% of students are achieving five or more A* - C GCSE grades (including English and maths) compared to the 56.1% national average.

Other key findings for Hertfordshire are that the county is in the top 25% nationally for good or outstanding early years provision, that key stage one pupils are among the highest achieving in the country and that Herts is one of the best counties in the country for the proportion of post-16 learners achieving a level three qualification.

Chris Hayward, Herts County Council’s cabinet member for education and skills, said: “I’m proud to once again praise the hard work and dedication of staff and students across Hertfordshire.

“By achieving better than others nationally in a number of key areas, Hertfordshire pupils are in a much better position for the next level of their education or training to achieve their full potential.

“I’m also pleased the report acknowledges the role we play, together with Herts for Learning, in helping schools achieve the best possible outcomes for every child in the county.”

However, Hertfordshire is ranked below the likes of Luton and Slough in the table.