AN MP is calling for improvements at two schools following the release of 'worrying figures'.

Witham MP Priti Patel has urged the trust behind New Rickstones Academy and Maltings Academy to put an action plan in place to improve standards.

It comes after New Rickstones Academy slumped to a Progress 8 score of -0.54 compared to its score of -0.27 for summer 2017 putting it well below the national average, and an Attainment 8 score of 36.5.

Just 26 per cent of pupils at school achieved a grade 5 in Maths or English - grade 5 is a similar level to a high grade C or low grade B in the old system.

Maltings Academy, which is run by the same Academies Enterprise Trust (AET), achieved a Progress 8 score of -0.34 compared to -0.21 last January but last year’s Attainment 8 score of 42.9 rose to 44.7 this year.

Witham MP Priti Patel said: “These results are a cause for concern and the significant decline in Progress 8 is worrying.

“My concerns about AET’s management of schools in Witham are well documented and these results show very clearly that more work needs to be done to ensure students achieve the highest standards.

“The Department for Education and the Regional Schools Commissioner have been pressing for an action plan to be put in place to raise educational standards and I have encouraged this to happen.

“The schools must work with the Department for Education to address these ongoing issues with educational attainment and use the capability across AET to give Witham pupils the highest level of education and outstanding educational results.”

A spokesman for New Rickstones Academy said: “While overall results still need to improve, it’s important to recognise the amount of progress our students make during their time with us.

“We have made wide-ranging changes and these are already starting to have an impact and we are confident that this will be apparent in summer 2019’s results.

“Indeed, the percentage of students achieving grade five or higher in English and maths went by by ten per cent last year and we anticipate the same again this year.”

The Department for Education published its Progress 8 and Attainment 8 analysis of GCSE results from summer 2018 last Thursday.

The figures mean every school in Braintree and Witham - except one - fell below the average standard of teaching last year.

Progress 8 is worked out by comparing predicted grades of pupils when they leave primary school and the difference between that number and their Attainment 8 score.

Attainment 8 is an average grade which is given from a set of eight subjects.

Honywood School in Coggeshall was also classed as well below average with a Progress 8 score of -0.68 and an Attainment 8 score of 42.9, compared to a national average of 46.5.

In Braintree, Tabor and Alec Hunter academies were rated as below average.

Notley High School was the best performing school in the area with a Progress 8 score of -0.16 meaning it is considered average. It was just above the national average in terms of Attainment 8 with a score of 46.9.