Standing view · skills · Salford
improving, held with strong confidence, formed on 31 August 2026 from movements in 2024/2025.
The share of Salford pupils reaching grade 4 or above in GCSE English and maths rose to 61.2% in 2024/25, attainment at grade 5 or above to 40.2% and entry to both subjects to 95.5% of the cohort. Three measures moved favourably in the same academic year, and the entry rate shows the attainment figures cover almost every pupil. Only one year is published here for each, so there is no run behind the improvement.
A view is formed only where the evidence names a figure you can check. Each movement listed as a reason had to be large enough to matter and distinctive in at least one way — unusual against this area's own history, unusual against comparable areas, or sustained over several periods. A movement shared with peers counts for less, because it says something about the country rather than about Salford. Where no figure supports a direction we hold no view rather than a hedged one.
| Measure | Period | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| GCSE grade 4+ in English and maths | 2024/2025 | improving |
| GCSE grade 5+ in English and maths | 2024/2025 | improving |
| Pupils entering English and maths GCSEs | 2024/2025 | improving |