Nidderdale High sits in top 100 England schools

The Minister for State Schools, Nick Gibb MP, wrote to the school in February to congratulate them on making the leaderboard for the greatest sustained improvement in GCSE grades.

For one of the school’s consultant headteachers, the success has been the product of some hard from both staff and students.

Consultant Head of School, Kath Jordan said: “On other progress measures we are in the top 15 schools nationally and we are around 15th in North Yorkshire.

“We were absolutely delighted, obviously we had been really pleased to find that we were in the top 15 per cent on various progress measures.

The school now has more than 65 per cent of students achieving five or more A*-C grades at GCSE including English and maths, which is the highest percentage the school has ever reached.

Consultant Head of School Kath Jordan said: “The school has been on a real programme of improvement and this is often what parents will look at in terms of progress as well as for us as a school.

“We are all about doing the best we can.

“The work that we have done is really making sure students achieve their best in every subject.

“It doesn’t matter what subjects students have chosen to study it’s that they have been successful in all of their subjects and that they have a really varied and balanced education.

“That’s really been our focus on what students choose to study so they can achieve real success.

For Ms Jordan and the rest of the school, the letter was welcomed as recognition for their efforts.

Ms Jordan said: “It’s real validation of all the work we have been doing over the last few years that as many students as possible leave with those key five A*-C grades in English and maths.

“The whole staff team has worked really hard over the last few years with the community and with parents.”

But it seems the hard graft doesn’t stop there.

Ms Jordan acknowledged the fact that while 65 per cent of students will leave year 11 this year with those five key grades, next year brings another group of students just as hopeful to achieve.

Now the school is setting the boundary even higher and is aiming to have 70 per cent or higher leaving the school with the same success.

Ms Jordan said: “All of our staff are delighted to have that recognition but the hard work doesn’t stop and the commitment continues.

“It’s onward and upwards, we would hope to be even further improved next year.

“The hard work continues and we aim to break through the 70 per cent barrier if not more than that to be getting the five A*-C including English and maths.”