Best ever GCSE results

The results have shown that many of the schools smashed through the national average level for A* to C five or more passes, including English and Maths.

They have shown that Sandwell is continuing its year-on-year upward trend.

Cabinet member for children and families Councillor Bob Badham said: "These are really pleasing and, in some cases, excellent results, and clearly reflect the hard work that is being put in by our schools, pupils and education staff at the council.

"It should be remembered that 10 years ago we had schools that were only getting single figures on the number of pupils achieving five or more passes at A to C grades.

"No school in the borough was achieving anything near the national average figure.

"But now we have schools that for the last few years have regularly been breaking through the national average figure which would have been unthinkable 10 years ago.

"It is another reason more people are moving to Sandwell because the realise we have good quality schools."

At the Q3 Academy in Great Barr, they saw the overall pass rate of pupils gaining five or more A* to C grades, including English and Maths, shoot up 10 per cent to 76 per cent.

Head Caroline Badyal said it reflected the "tremendous teamwork" by everyone at the academy.

At Wood Green Academy in Wednesbury, pupils recorded what associate head James Topping said was an "unbelievable" set of results.

Pupils notched up a 70 per cent pass rate at five or more passes at A* to C including English and Maths. It was a massive jump from 59 per cent last year. The national average figure last year was 58 per cent.

Mr Topping said: "These results are really, really pleasing. A lot of work has been put in and we knew the results would be good, but this is even more than we could have hoped for.

"Everyone has worked well together and I congratulate everyone," he added.

Among the top performing pupils are Charlotte Pace, Emma Lyndon, Aalysia Bedwood, Anna Brotherton, Liam Bull, Rohit Patel, Bradley Cavell and Brendon Jones.

Over at Perryfields High in Oldbury, pupils also smashed through last year's national average pass level.

They recorded a pass rate of pupils achieving five or more passes at A* to C of 65 per cent, including English and Maths. The level of pupils gaining five or more A* to C passes was even higher at 83 per cent.

Shannon Berridge and Jade Stewart both got eight A* and As.

A delighted head Dai Meredith said: "This is really pleasing. In 2002 the school was in special measures and now we are consistently achieving this sort of level.

"It shows the level of improvement we have made," he added.

Over at Ormiston Forge Academy in Cradley Heath, they notched up a pass rate of pupils achieving five or more A* to C grades of 57 per cent - a nine per cent jump on last year.

Last week Sandwell pupils achieved a bumper crop of A level passes and last month it was revealed that in provisional figures released, primary children notched up the borough's best ever results in exam tests for 11 year olds.

This comes on the back of Sandwell being rated the fourth most improved authority in the Key Stage 2 tests last year.

In the provisional figures more Sandwell children than ever have now reached the expected level in both English and Maths.

At more than a five per cent increase, the improvement in results is also the biggest year-on-year improvement ever recorded for Sandwell primary schools.

And education chiefs expect that when results are published by the DFE in September, it will show that the results are more than four per cent above last year's national average.