Perhaps we shouldn't tempt providence, but the optimism that GCSE results in Oxfordshire will show a significant improvement in the next few years appears to be well-founded.
Provisional results in the Key Stage Three tests for 14-year-olds reveal an increasing number of pupils achieving level five or above.
GCSE resuits in the county have been disappointing, but council officers have confidently predicted that with new measures in place, they will get better.
They fell for the third year running this year, with just 50.8 per cent of pupils recording five A-C grades.
Although this wasn't far short of the national average of 51.1 per cent, it was a woeful performance when compared with neighbouring counties.
Our schools still have much work to do if we are to see a marked improvement in GCSE results in future.
Even in Key Stage Three tests, we lag behind authorities such as Buckinghamshire, West Berkshire, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire.
But the one per cent improvement on last year's figures shows that we are heading in the right direction.
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