Far fewer Sheffield pupils earned top grades of AAB in their A-Levels in 2023, according to a Department for Education rating.
The Star looked at Government data to sort the Steel City’s schools in order of the strongest A Level results – that is, what percentage of its cohort at the end of the academic year in 2023 earned an AAB or higher.
However, it appears the Government’s goalposts for 2023 have changed.
The number of pupils earning an AAB has dropped dramatically across Sheffield - but so have the number of pupils the DfE are interested in.
This is because this year’s data is only concerned with pupils who entered into at least two “facilitating” subjects, which are considered the most important for earning a place at university.
These subjects are biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, further mathematics, geography, history, English literature and classical or modern languages.
The impact this had had on the data is dramatic. For example, in 2022, Longley Park Academy’s sixth form had a student cohort of 560. In 2023, the Government was only concerned with 59 pupils who were taking facilitating subjects.
But even then, top graded A-Levels have dipped across the city. Silverdale School had roughly the same number of eligible pupils in 2022 (186) and 2023 (180), but the number of pupils earning an AAB or higher fell from 40.5 per cent to 31.1.
Sheffield High School for Girls is once again the top performing school in the city. But compared to 2022, when an astonishing 64.3 per cent of pupils earned an AAB or higher, this year that number fell to 42.
The gallery below lists Sheffield’s sixth form schools by the number of pupils earning an AAB or higher in their A-Levels while studying two of these “facilitating subjects” from fewest to greatest.
This is far from a ranking of schools from “best to worst”, as several of Sheffield’s colleges that appear to have weak A-Level results are better known for their technical qualifications and post extremely strong results in those every year.
Similarly, this ranking does not take into account other measures of a school’s success, such as how many of its pupils enter higher education or fulfil other ambitions after school.
The Star has also left out a number of sixth forms because the number of eligible pupils they could put up was so low. For example, UTC Sheffield City Centre technically had one of the best rates in the city for scoring AABs at A-Levels in 2023 - but only seven eligible pupils. Likewise, Sheffield Park Academy had only 12 eligible pupils, and UTC Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park had six.
Several non-special sixth forms also do not have data available for 2023 on the DfE website. They are; Astrea Academy; Bradfield School; and Mercia School.
Here are Sheffield's 13 sixth form offerings ranked by how many AAB results they got in 2023.
However, it appears the Government’s goalposts for 2023 have changed.
![Out of Notre Dame High School's 236 leavers in 2022, 21 per cent of them earned an AAB or higher in their A Levels. IN 2023, the school had less eligible students and a smaller percentage of pupils earning an AAB, at 18 per cent of 183 students.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmNmYmQ0NWYyLTVkYTktNDM2OS05NjM5LTA1MmY2NWQ3Zjc4Yzo4M2QzMTM1Ni1mZGU4LTRkMzItOWQ3OS01YjhlZWE1M2YxNjE=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
5. Notre Dame High School
Out of Notre Dame High School's 236 leavers in 2022, 21 per cent of them earned an AAB or higher in their A Levels. IN 2023, the school had less eligible students and a smaller percentage of pupils earning an AAB, at 18 per cent of 183 students. | National WorldPhoto: JPI Media
![High Storrs School had 230 leavers in 2022, and 18 per cent of them earned an AAB or higher in their A Levels. With a comparable 237 eligible leavers this year, a greater percentage of students earned an AAB, at 22.8 per cent.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOmFlMjRlZjIwLTU0OWMtNGZlMC1hNmIwLWJkM2E4YzU2NWQzYzo3ZmYyZGU5NS1iM2Y4LTQ2NmQtOGEwZi02N2NhMThjODZlOGI=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
6. High Storrs School
High Storrs School had 230 leavers in 2022, and 18 per cent of them earned an AAB or higher in their A Levels. With a comparable 237 eligible leavers this year, a greater percentage of students earned an AAB, at 22.8 per cent. | National WorldPhoto: Google Maps
![Forge Valley School had 98 leavers at the end of the academic year in 2022, with 9.7 per cent of them earning an AAB or higher. In 2023, the school had a higher percentage of AABs in at 22.9 per cent, but with but less eligible students, at just 48.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjllOGU5NTRkLWFkMWMtNDZhNC04ZmU3LTk5OGE0NTQ1NjJiMTo3YzdmZjY5OS0xYWI5LTQ1MzktYTZiNi02OGM3MmQxMWE0OGE=.jpg?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
7. Forge Valley School
Forge Valley School had 98 leavers at the end of the academic year in 2022, with 9.7 per cent of them earning an AAB or higher. In 2023, the school had a higher percentage of AABs in at 22.9 per cent, but with but less eligible students, at just 48. | Google MapsPhoto: Alastair Ulke
![Birkdale School is one of the few schools in Sheffield that has a larger cohort this year compared to 2022. Birkdale had 83 leavers in 2022, and 27.8 per cent of them earning an AAB or higher. In 2023, 107 pupils were counted, with 23.4 per cent of them earning an AAB or higher.](https://www.thestar.co.uk/webimg/b25lY21zOjIyOGM0ZmYxLTNiYWYtNDVlYy1iZDg4LWRiZjM5MzYzNDExMTo5YjBiZTBmMi0xODUyLTQyMjQtYjE2ZC0yMzA3MmI1ODVkYmM=.png?crop=3:2&trim=&width=800)
8. Birkdale School
Birkdale School is one of the few schools in Sheffield that has a larger cohort this year compared to 2022. Birkdale had 83 leavers in 2022, and 27.8 per cent of them earning an AAB or higher. In 2023, 107 pupils were counted, with 23.4 per cent of them earning an AAB or higher. | google mapsPhoto: Google Maps