A COUNTY secondary school has been listed in the top five schools in the country in the Department of Education's latest league table.

The official results of the Department for Education’s Progress 8 league table were released yesterday and focus on how pupils have progressed from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school.

Steiner Academy Hereford in Much Dewchurch achieved a Progress 8 score of 1.37, which is well above average, and puts the school at number 5 in the national league table for the second year in a row.

Attainment 8 measures a pupil's average grade across eight subjects. The Progress 8 score is calculated by comparing each pupil's Attainment 8 score in GCSEs to those nationally who had the same Key Stage 2 results at age 11.

If a school scores +1 and above, it shows that pupils made exceptionally good progress. If the score is below -0.5, the school may come under increased scrutiny and receive additional support.

As Steiner Academy achieved 1.37, it showed that the school's 25 pupils who took their GCSEs last summer progressed further than expected and further than other pupils nationally who achieved similar results at age 11.

The school follows the Steiner curriculum which promotes a holistic, unhurried approach to learning and mixes formal and non-formal methods.

Principal Stephen Holland said: “The ‘slow-burn’ approach brings many benefits, it enables our upper school students to be more self-directed, focused and able to think creatively and responsibly. And most importantly, they do not lose their love of learning.

“Not only do our students do well in their GCSE examinations, but they continue to thrive as they progress into further education, training and employment. In common with the original intentions of Rudolf Steiner, our ambition is to have prepared our pupils well to live fulfilling, meaningful and responsible lives, and for them to be able to make a positive contribution to the world as they find it.”

Overall schools in Herefordshire achieved a -0.01 average progress 8 score, which is better than the national average of -0.03.

Fairfield High School was also well above average with 0.52, and two were above average: St Mary’s RC High School (0.37) and Weobley High School (0.43).

Three schools in Herefordshire were well below average with regards to progress with Aylestone School achieving -0.54, The Hereford Academy recording -0.55 and Robert Owen Academy with -2.3 score.

Earl Mortimer was below average with -0.28.

The following schools had average Progress 8 scores: Whitecross (-0.05), Wigmore (-0.01), Queen Elizabeth Humanities College (0.03), Lady Hawkins’ School (0.03), Kingstone High School (0.08), The Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat School (0.1), John Masefield High School (0.12), John Kyrle High School (0.14).

Bishops had the most number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 with 205, followed by John Kyrle with 198 and Whitecross with 173.