Ninety one per cent of schools in Wolverhampton are now rated either Good or Outstanding by Ofsted – the most ever.

That is an increase of more than 20 percentage points in less than a decade, and means the proportion of schools in Wolverhampton with 1 of the 2 top grades is higher than both the regional and national average.

Latest figures from Ofsted show that 93% of Wolverhampton's primary schools are rated either Good or Outstanding, compared to 89% in the West Midlands and 91% nationally, while 85% of secondary schools in the city hold 1 of the top 2 grades, compared to 83% in the West Midlands and nationally. 

Overall, 91% of schools in Wolverhampton are now rated either Good or Outstanding, compared to 88% in the West Midlands and 90% nationally.

Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Work, said: "As a council, we are determined that our city's children and young people get the best possible start in life – and that means ensuring they have access to the best possible education, too.

"We have been committed to raising education standards over recent years. It is a central theme in our council plan and we're keen to work closely with local schools and academy trusts to ensure the best outcomes for all our children and young people.

"And we are in an excellent position, with more pupils in Wolverhampton now able to attend Good or Outstanding schools than ever before.

"This is thanks to the hard work of leaders, teachers, governors, pupils and parents, as well the sustained investment in education we have made over the last decade.”

Wolverhampton’s Education Excellence Strategy, written in partnership with school leaders, ensures that all schools are reviewed annually, identifying areas of strength and areas where there can be further development.

In those instances where additional support is needed to help schools get better, the council’s Education Excellence team works closely with school leadership teams, governors and a host of services including Early Years, Citizenship Language and Learning, safeguarding and SEND and Inclusion, which has helped bring about a noticeable increase in standards over recent years. 

The council’s Education team hold regular meetings with school leaders to monitor progress and review the quality of teaching, meet with the directors and CEOs of multi academy trusts to share updates and to offer support and challenge, and help governing bodies to recruit and train new members and appoint school leaders. 

They also host termly network meetings and workshops focused on school improvement for headteachers, middle leaders and subject leaders. 

Councillor Coogan added: "This is all really important, because we know that, with more children or young people able to attend high performing schools, their educational outcomes are likely to improve still further, and I would like to congratulate everyone for their hard work which has got us to this enviable position."