Wimbledon School Rewarded For Attainment

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Cash award to Ricards Lodge

Ricards Lodge secondary school in Wimbledon has been awarded £5,000 by the Department for Education for being one of the most improved schools in the country in terms of attainment and progress made by their more disadvantaged pupils aged between 14 and 16 years old.

The Lake Road-based school ranks in the top 90 schools in England showing the greatest sustained improvement in the percentage of pupils achieving A*-C grade GCSEs including English and maths.

The school has now been invited to apply for larger prizes of up to £250,000. Final prizes will be awarded at a ceremony hosted by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in March.

In addition to Ricards Lodge's success, four Merton primary schools – Cranmer and St Mark’s Primary Schools in Mitcham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School in Morden and West Wimbledon Primary School – have been congratulated by Department for Education on the excellent progress made by their disadvantaged pupils aged between 7 and 11 years old.

Merton Council cabinet member for education Councillor Martin Whelton said: "This is wonderful news and further testament to the continued hard work and commitment from our teaching staff, pupils and their families who support the children through school.

"I am proud of all our Merton schools and commend the work of Ricards Lodge and the three primary schools in leading the way. I look forward  to seeing all our schools continue to build on their excellent work  in improving attainment for disadvantaged children no matter what their background."

February 24, 2015