REDBRIDGE and Waltham Forest schools have finished above the national average for GCSE results despite falling national standards.

Schools are now judged by two new measures known as Progress 8 and Attainment 8. Progress 8 was introduced in 2016 and measures pupils’ progress from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school.

Attainment 8 measures pupils’ achievements across eight qualifications including maths, English, three qualifications that count in the English Baccalaureate and three further qualifications that can be GCSE qualifications.

Despite one in eight secondary schools in England being below requirements set by ministers, the two east London boroughs successfully finished above the Progress 8 average for state-funded English schools.

Redbridge and Waltham Forest finished above the national average for progress eight scores. Redbridge’s Progress 8 average was 0.42 and Waltham’s average was 0.14. The average for state-funded English schools was -0.03.

However, Essex schools fell below the national average, scoring -0.04 overall.

Instead of being graded from A* to G in GCSEs, English and maths are graded 1 to 9, with 9 being the highest mark and 1 the lowest.

Notable accomplishments across the three areas include Walthamstow School for Girls, which gained a well above average Progress 8 score of 0.73. Woodford County High School also gained a well above average score of 0.99. Both schools are part of only 12 per cent who gained well above average scores.

Davenant Foundation School in Loughton gained an impressive above average Progress 8 score of 0.25.

Walthamstow School for Girls’ Attainment 8 score was 53.6, Woodford County High’s 75.1 and Davenant’s 54.2.

A total of 56 per cent of students at Walthamstow School for Girls got grade five or above in English and maths GCSE, 99 per cent at Woodford County High and 67 per cent at Davenant.

University hopefuls across the three areas were also celebrating good A-level results.

Average performances are calculated by comparing the A-level results of students with those of students in schools and colleges across England pupils who started with similar results at the end of the previous key stage.

A total of 58.1 per cent of students at Bancroft’s secured AAB or higher in at least two subjects.

On average, students at Woodbridge High School and Wanstead High School made more progress than others across England who got similar results. Woodbridge students were on average 0.04 better while Wanstead’s pupils were 0.05 per cent better.

In Waltham Forest, students at Holy Family Catholic School were 0.39 better than the average A-level results, putting it in the top five per cent of schools and colleges. Heathcote School and Science College were also above average, performing 0.18 better than others with similar results.

West Hatch High School in Chigwell were also in the top five per cent of performing schools, finishing 0.31 above the average score. However, Debden Park High School and Roding Valley High Schools fell below the average, with overall scores of -0.14 and. Roding Valley High School also suffered a below average score of -0.29.