Brighton and Hove Success Measures

GCSE figures provide Brighton and Hove Success Measure

So Brighton and Hove is in the news this month for the success of its children as official figures are released in relation to their hard work in their GCSEs which they celebrated in August 2013.  This is not so much a measure of the city’s success because the achievement lies with the children who have a applied themselves at school and to the dedicated army of teachers who educate and lead them along with the parents, other carers and families who support teacher and pupil along the way.

Well Done Kids!

So a big pat on the back for all of those young people who have pulled out all the stops, worked hard and got the results they need to set themselves up for the future.  We aren’t only congratulating the top performers here and while a bunch of A-grades and A-Stars tells something, there are probably a host of other achievements hidden in the results.  For instance, what about the person who gets a grade B when everyone expected a C?  Well done to them too!  And how about those who stuck with the hard work of study and revision whilst their families were struggling with financial problems or relationship difficulties or illness?  Well done there!

Evaluating Success Measures

Success isn’t about coming top and for any of us, rewarding and recognising an achievment is critical.  Children love to be told they have done well just as much as the rest of us – their teachers probably appreciate it too!  This kind of recognition helps inspire further progress and development, reinforces the confidence boost and helps fix the feelings in time and place.  Whether we have got a Grade A or a D, cooked a nice meal, written a super report or tidied the bedroom a success is always worth noting.

What does Success Measure?

All kinds of things are demonstrated in a success:

• Commitment
• Achievement
• Determination
• Effort
• Growth
• Development
• Learning

There are similarities  in any list exploring a success measure but there are probably unique components in each personal story.  How do you quantify the difference between a child who achieves a Grade C who’s parents are struggling with unemployment and debt in comparison to someone who has had a more comfortable year and perhaps enjoyed some extra coaching from academic relatives or a tutor?  Both children have succeeded but the point here is to be careful not confuse success with results.

Well done Brighton and Hove children and teachers!

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This was written by Michele and you can contact her here.