A new Peterborough City Council report has revealed that education performance across the city remains too low, with significant variations in school attainment levels. The report, prepared by Nick Beech, head of school improvement, reviews statutory assessments for primary and secondary schools in 2024, identifying areas of concern and steps for improvement.
Key Findings from the Education Report
Overall Performance Concerns
- Education outcomes in Peterborough remain below the national average.
- While some improvements have been made, progress is not happening fast enough.
- A major concern is the significant gap between high-performing and low-performing schools.
- Some academies show particularly low levels of attainment, affecting overall citywide performance.
Nick Beech noted:
“Whilst there is improvement in some areas, it is not at sufficient pace. Outcomes in some academies are a particular cause for concern.”
Primary School Performance
- Early Years Foundation Stage (Reception):
- Less than 25% of Peterborough schools reached the national average.
- Phonics Screening Check (Year 1):
- Around 50% of mainstream schools achieved the national average.
- Key Stage 2 (Year 6) – Reading, Maths & Writing:
- Only one-third of schools met or exceeded the national average.
- 19 out of 40 academies (48%) had attainment below 50%.
- In contrast, only one out of 20 city-maintained schools (5%) fell below 50%.
The council expressed particular concern over schools that failed to achieve at least 50% in Key Stage 2 assessments.
Secondary School Performance
- Key Stage 4 (Year 11) – English & Maths GCSEs:
- 58.4% of students achieved grades 9-4 (pass grades).
- This is below the national average of 65.5%.
- Key Stage 5 (A-Levels):
- 72% of students achieved A-C grades*, slightly lower than the national average of 76%.
Inequality in School Performance
The report highlighted a widening gap between high-achieving and low-achieving schools. Some schools in Peterborough ranked among the top in the country, while others persistently struggle with low attainment.
Nick Beech stated:
“The number of schools with low attainment is masking the good success of others.”
To address this gap, the council aims to increase collaboration between high-performing and struggling schools to share best practices.
Support Measures for Underperforming Schools
Peterborough City Council is taking targeted actions to support schools with low attainment, including:
- Family Hub programme: Providing early childhood education support.
- National Literacy Trust projects: Focusing on improving reading and writing skills.
- Encouraging collaboration between schools to share successful teaching strategies.
Despite concerns over academic outcomes, Ofsted inspections show that most low-performing schools still receive “Good” ratings in all areas.
“This provides reassurance that leaders are taking the right actions and pupils are receiving a good quality education.” – Nick Beech
What Happens Next?
- The findings will be discussed at a Children and Education Scrutiny Committee meeting on Monday, March 17.
- The council aims to implement new strategies to improve student attainment across all education levels.
- Continued focus on bridging the gap between high and low-performing schools.
The Peterborough education report highlights slow improvement and continued underperformance in some schools, particularly among academies. While some schools rank among the best nationally, a large number of underachieving schools are dragging down overall results. The council is now focused on targeted interventions, sharing best practices, and supporting schools to help raise attainment levels citywide.
