Scottish School League Tables

[MakeMineALargeProsecco]

Am looking to move house, and trying to choose between East Renfrewshire or East Kilbride in terms of commute.

But the difference is school league tables between Mearns Castle/Williamwood in East Ren and Duncanrig/Calderglen in EK is huge.

And the difference in terms of house prices value for money is large as well.

Would it be a mistake to choose EK over East Renfrewshire?

And are school league tables what they seem? Is there a lot of pressure on the East Ren schools?

Or am I missing something?

[TwinkleRedMoon]

I am interested in this too so I am glad you have started this thread. 😊 I live in the catchment for a school that is very far down the league table but am closer in distance to two East Renfrewshire schools (not too of the league but much higher up league table than catchment school).

I have attended open evening of my catchment school and one of the East Ren schools. And I preferred my catchment school but the East Ren school is lovely inside.

[TwinkleRedMoon]

*top

[ClerkMaxwell]

No experience of EK or East Ren schools however DD switched to a school 225 places higher in current league tables last year and says standard of teaching very similar (teachers in both schools want to do best for everyone). Main difference is new school has virtually no SIMD 1 or 2, classes are calmer and more subjects offered at AH. Her friends who stayed put got the same results as her.

[TrollTheRespawnJeremy]

The facilities and opportunities at East Ren schools are fabulous.

EK schools more of a mixed demographic so as poster said above- classes a bit more unruly.

It would have to be an absolutely fabulous house in EK for me to consider it. The village/East mains has always been one of the nicest areas/most convenient but it has terrible issues with anti-social behaviour and I don't fancy the identikit housing estates that have sprawled out everywhere.

[cazzyg]

The league tables are unofficial and only look at exam results. You will probably find that there is a high correlation between house prices and results.....it stands to reason that a catchment with well educated, wealthier and motivated parents has a better chance of getting good exam results than a more diverse catchment.....

I went to a high school that was in the top 10 in Scotland for results. I know that a significant number of passes were obtained through the use of tutors, there was also manipulation of results through ensuring the cohort submitted for an exam in particular at higher level were pretty much guaranteed to pass. I’m not saying that this is the case in East Ren, but I wouldn’t necessarily take the results at face value and assume it’s all down to amazing teaching.

[MakeMineALargeProsecco]

That's exactly what I was meaning @TwinkleRedMoon - have heard of schools putting forward candidates who will do best, to skew league table results in their favour - there was none of that in my day!!

[MintChocAddict]

Depends what you're looking for from a school and possibly whether your DC would be comfortable in a competitive environment or not.
East Renfrewshire schools strive to be top of the table in just about everything. It definitely works for some kids hence the results, but can imagine it puts pressure on others to keep up.
You'll find larger numbers of high achieving kids academically, competing at national level in sports etc.
You'll know your own child best and whether this type of environment would be likely to motivate them or not.
They also generally offer a larger number of National qualification for S3 and S4 than other Council areas. Think 8-9 rather than 5-7 which obviously then allows for a wider pool of Highers to choose from.
Also have a good vocational programme for senior pupils.
Swings and roundabouts.

[howabout]

We actively opted against East Renf. We are close enough that we have lots of friends who opted in and my DC often do joint events with East Ren schools and have friends in Mearns and Williamwood.

The schools and the DC are under constant pressure to perform. Points make prizes is very much the mantra in terms of focus on academics. Also because the pupils are more homogeneous there is much more competition and expectation all the time.

The best illustration I can give is in music. Mine both play instruments in school. They have never had to audition for an ensemble or been pressured to join one. The school show is very much a case of the more the merrier and adapting to suit who wants to participate. They were not pressured to do ABRSM grade exams or Nat 5 / 6 / 7 music.

In East Ren if you have instrument lessons at school all of these expectations apply. This may suit a child who needs the push of exam markers but for a child who wants to balance music with other things or who wants to specialise at a higher level in music than school provides these obligations can hold them back.

I agree with MintChocAddict. Also my critique applies to all of the "top league table" schools not just the ones in East Ren. It is almost impossible to get the top 20% results some of them do without pushing their top performers for ever more exam results.

Bear in mind that Unis care about the best results a child achieves in 5 relevant Highers in 5th year. None of the current data measures on this metric.

[CareOfPunts]

The league tables are unofficial and only look at exam results. You will probably find that there is a high correlation between house prices and results.....it stands to reason that a catchment with well educated, wealthier and motivated parents has a better chance of getting good exam results than a more diverse catchment.....

This. They also narrow down the kids’ subjects earlier than they should for nat 5 so they aren’t doing the broad general education until the end of 3rd year as is supposed to be the way of it. I’m sure many schools could bump their way up the tables if they limited the number of subjects they had to teach the kids early on

[CareOfPunts]

Plus if you have a bright child they will be nurtured and well supported to achieve well in other schools too. My son is extremely bright and the school are really supportive and he’s on fast track and working well ahead in certain subjects. I can’t imagine for one second he’d do any better at all in E Ren.

[WaxOnFeckOff]

Not strictly true for all schools. Dunblane, up to now, don't narrow down until almost the end of S3. Start slightly early when the older classes go on exam leave. That's not East ren though. Also heard that they only allow pupils to take their strongest subjects in s5 regardless of whether that fits with what they need for uni. That's apocryphal though.

[CareOfPunts]

That’s what our school does @WaxOnFeckOff narrows down at end of s2 and then again at end of s3. Speaking to people I know who are secondary teachers that’s how it’s meant to be done but doesn’t seem to apply to people I know in schools in ERen. They might be good exam factories but I wonder how much of a good broad general education the kids really get.

[WaxOnFeckOff]

No, Dunblane currently don't narrow at all until end of S3 which is as it's supposed to be done. Loads of schools narrow at end s2 as well but that's not technically correct either.

I believe Dunblane are considering changing their model though but I don't know what the options are

[KristinaM]

The best illustration I can give is in music. Mine both play instruments in school. They have never had to audition for an ensemble or been pressured to join one. The school show is very much a case of the more the merrier and adapting to suit who wants to participate. They were not pressured to do ABRSM grade exams or Nat 5 / 6 / 7 music. In East Ren if you have instrument lessons at school all of these expectations apply

That’s simply not the case at all East Ren schools. Because I have a child doing AH Music at one who hasn’t been made to audition for an ensemble, hasn’t been pressured to join one and hasn’t sat any grade exams.

And there’s no Nat 6 or 7, just exams at that SQCF level.