Beech House is Rochdale's top school

Reporter: Jan Harwood
Date online: 20 January 2009

Beech House school is Rochdale's best performer according to latest GCSE results.

73% of the 26 Key stage 4 pupils at the Manchester Road private school achieved five A*-C grades, including English and Maths - the highest percentage in the borough.

Of the larger high schools, those with more than 100 pupils sitting GCSEs, Middleton came in top with 63% of their 203 pupils gaining five A*-C grades.

At the opposite end of the scale, just 16% of Springhill High's 166 candidates picked up five A*-C GCSEs.

Rochdale's GCSE scores in full were:

Balderstone - 206 pupils - 27% A*-C including English & Maths
Beech House - 26 pupils - 73%
Cardinal Langley - 182 pupils - 48%
Falinge Park High - 230 - 41%
Heywood High - 120 - 39%
Hollingworth Business & Enterprise - 200 - 48%
Holy Family RC & C of E - 93 - 56%
Matthew Moss High - 170 - 42%
Middleton - 203 - 63%
Oulder Hill - 237 - 56%
St Anne's Academy - 156 - 43%
St Cuthbert's RC Business & Enterprise - 255 - 51
Siddal Moor - 208 - 34%
Springhill High - 166 - 16%
Wardle High - 237 - 52%

The Guardian newspaper ranked schools with the biggest improvements in the percentage of pupils gaining the Government’s gold standard of least five A* to C grades, including English and maths. Of the 123 schools listed, none were in Rochdale.