Message from Mr Morrison
Wednesday, September 7, 2022
This Summer saw some of the best ever exam results that Preston School has ever seen!
Dear families,
Welcome to the new academic year. I hope that you had an enjoyable, safe and healthy summer and that your children are refreshed for the year ahead. It was great to see all of the students back yesterday and we look forward to beginning lessons this morning.
I am delighted to report that this summer saw some of the best ever exams results that Preston School has ever seen, and our highest ever Progress 8 grade. This was the first time students have sat exams since 2019, pre-pandemic, and we are delighted with the outcomes which demonstrate how much progress the school has made and is making:
| Measure | 2019 Outcomes | National Average | 2022 Outcomes |
| Progress 9 | -0.6 | -0.03 | +0.13 |
| Attainment 8 | 46.9 | 48.0 | 53.51 |
| BASICs 4+ | 67% | 67% | 82% |
| BASICS 5+ | 49% | 49% | 63% |
Progress 8 = a score based on how well students perform compared to their peers nationally. A positive number is good
Attainment 8 = the average total of a student’s grades added together
BASICS 4+ = the percentage of students who gained a grade 4 or higher in both English & Maths
BASICS 5+ = the percentage of students who gained a grade 5 or higher in both English & Maths
All figures will be confirmed for schools by the DfE in due course.
As you can see we have performed incredibly well against the government accountability measures. A huge well done to all of the Class of 2022 who sat their exams and performed so well, enabling them to go on to many great courses and opportunities this year. A special mention for the current Year 11 students who sat their GCSE Statistics exam last summer and also performed very well.
These brilliant results will make us one of the most improved schools in the country. For a school to improve their Progress 8 figure by more than 0.7 is very, very rare and we should all be very proud of these results. This stands us in excellent stead for when Ofsted next inspect the school, and gives us even more confidence in them recognising what we know: that Preston is a good school.
These results, however, do not change our outlook and approach and we will continue to develop and improve the school alongside the Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership (MNSP) and the Local Governors’ Board. Whilst naturally delighted with these results, we want more for our students, your children, and we will work relentlessly to achieve this.
We are very much aware of the rising cost of living and the impact that this will be having on families. We will do whatever we can to support students and families, so please do get in touch if we can help in any way.
I look forward to seeing you through the academic year but, as always, if there is anything that myself or anyone on the team can do to support then please do let me know. All of our email addresses are on the school website ( https://www.prestonschool.co.uk/contact-us/teaching-staff-contact-details ) and you have a world of information at your fingertips via our brilliant Family Portal. If you have any problems accessing the portal, or have any IT-related query, please do just contact us by emailing intranet@prestonschool.co.uk .
Best wishes
Gregg Morrison
