THE recently installed head of Dallam School has pledged to work to improve standards across all subjects after Government figures indicated it was performing below standard on GCSE results.

The Department of Education figures for 2018 GCSE results listed Dallam among the 382 schools classed as 'under-performing' and therefore within the bottom eight per cent of state funded schools of its type in the country.

One "concerned parent" said they were "shocked" by the figures and another expressed disquiet over curriculum changes.

However, head teacher Nigel Whittle said while he conceded there was a dip in results and the issue was being addressed, he explained that the figures should be placed into context and were partially explained by the method of calculating Progress 8 figures, which measure pupil performance from key stages 2 to 4.

“While I understand this may cause some concern, it is important to put these results in some context," said Mr Whittle.

"While there was clearly a dip, our overall results continue to be above the national average and some subjects performed exceptionally well.

"There are some areas, however, where students should be making more progress and, because of the way Progress 8 figures are calculated, they have had a significant impact.

“After joining Dallam’s community in June last year, I have, with the support of staff and leaders across the school, put in place rigorous plans to ensure this blip is not repeated.

"Part of this relates to the subjects students can choose to take.

"While we offer a broad curriculum at Dallam, Progress 8 is calculated predominantly on the more traditional subjects that form the English Baccalaureate.

"As a result, we are having to make some curriculum choices to ensure that our students are getting the results that best prepare them for the next steps of their education.”