Swanley school is among the top 10 per cent for improving student grades (From News Shopper)

Swanley school is among the top 10 per cent for improving student grades

11:20am Friday 13th July 2012 in Dartford & Swanley news By Jim Palmer

Head teacher Ben Smith with pupils

A SWANLEY school is among the best in the country for improving their pupils’ performance.

Orchards Academy, in St Mary’s Road, Swanley, was one of the top 10 per cent of schools in the country for adding value to their pupils’ performance between joining the school at 11 and sitting their GCSEs age 16.

Last summer, 48 per cent achieved five A* to C grade GCSEs including English and Maths.

Chief executive of schools representatives SSAT, Sue Williamson, said: “Orchards Academy is one of the best schools in the country at outperforming expectations for their pupils and improving their future prospects.

“There is plenty that other schools could learn from Orchards Academy’s success.

“These results are testament to the commitment and hard work of the students, teachers and leadership team at Orchards Academy and a vindication of their belief in high expectations, good teaching and ambition for every young person.”

The achievement is the latest marker of improvement for the school, formerly Swanley Technology College, which was marked as “inadequate” in a 2008 Ofsted report.

In 2009, only 22 per cent of pupils achieved five A* to Cs including Maths and English.

In its last report, the school was graded as “good” across the board.

Head teacher Ben Smith said it was a “fantastic result”.

He said: “It is due to every single member of the staff body pulling together to really drive up the standards at Orchards Academy to ensure that every student who enrols and attends, achieves their maximum potential.”