The Northern Powerhouse Partnership has published the third edition of its Fairer Schools Index. The index evaluates secondary school performance beyond Progress 8 data to reflect wider contextual challenges.
Developed by the University of Bristol, the Fairer School Index assesses the performance of schools by combining attainment and progress data with other variables – including pupil demographics, ethnicity, and deprivation – to provide a broader measure of the impact schools are making.
Researchers have measured every school in England against a series of additional performance metrics, such as free school meals, language, ethnic group, gender and special educational needs, to reveal the best 150 schools in England.
We are delighted that Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School (SJWMS) in Rochester, which joined Leigh Academies Trust in January 2019, has been ranked the top performing school in Kent and Medway and the fifth highest in the whole of the South East.
In summer 2024, SJWMS achieved a GCSE Progress 8 score of +0.90, which was the highest in Medway, and roughly a whole grade higher on average than for similar pupils nationally. In 2023, it was judged “Outstanding” across the board by Ofsted for the third time in a row, the only school in Medway to have achieved such an accolade.
Eliot Hodges, Principal of SJWMS, said:
“We are delighted to receive this recognition from the Fairer Schools Index. It is a testament to the hard work and commitment of both pupils and staff, along with the unwavering support of our parents and carers. I would like to thank all those involved with the school for making 2024 such a positive and successful year.”
Simon Beamish, Chief Executive of Leigh Academies Trust, added:
“SJWMS is a truly exceptional school. Its local community is fortunate to have such an incredible educational establishment right on its doorstep. It is especially satisfying to receive this recent recognition which shows how inclusive the school is. Not only does it achieve very high outcomes across the board, but it does so for all pupils regardless of their background. I would like to commend all of our very talented staff at SJWMS who have achieved so much and done so with such considerable modesty and humility.”
