The Times School Rankings

I hear you, CAMHS isn’t fit for purpose. I’ve heard of autistic kids having their referrals rejected because they “don’t do autism”. Like ND kids are alien creatures who don’t deserve MH input.

The amount of buck passing that goes on in the NHS is absolutely obscene.

Yes, clearly they do, but as there are no schools in our LA shown at all it isn't useful to anyone in my area.

It is all academic now @WhompingWillows. DD left school 5 years ago.

@Jellycats4life thank you and yes, I don’t disagree and I did make that point in my post about my DD1’s eating disorder. The irony is that I can’t get my DD in front of our CAMHS eating disorder specialists because she has the wrong sort of eating disorder (not anorexia so not funded by the NHS) and I couldn’t get her in front of CAMHS for an autism diagnosis either. So, while it would be brilliant for all young people presenting at ED clinics to be tested for autism, I will have to accept that there is more chance of Santa getting stuck down my chimney this Christmas than my (non-famous) teen being seen by either an ED or autism specialist anytime soon for help. (She has a private autism diagnosis and a GP ED diagnosis.)

So, it is a self selecting list and not useful for most parents. There are no schools in our LA in that list. So, a pretty pointless list then.

Surely schools that are happy with their results opt in?

Girls in selective schools had a lower rate of SEN than girls in non-selective schools. This does not imply that there are fewer neurodivergent students in selective schools, as some of them may not have been diagnosed or may not need a SEN statement. However, there is little evidence to suggest that neurodivergence is more common among selective school students by nature (although some may consider it a gift, depending on how they define it). Eating disorders can have many causes, both internal and external, and environmental pressure is certainly one of them.

League tables are nonsense, the differences are usually tiny and completely dependent on the selection process - nearly all comprehensives on these lists are religious so attract pushier parents prepared for church attendance for years to win places or they’re in posh areas where only the rich can buy into catchment. Ignore, ignore, ignore

Wilson's entry requirements into sixth form for current pupils are lower than the other boys' grammars. Most do 4 A levels. And they don't kick out after year 12, but they do strongly suggest resits for results under CCC.

Just ignore the hype and the MN frenzy, go and look at your local schools and work out for yourself where you think DC will be happiest.

I’m sorry your DD has been struggling with an eating disorder.

Just wanted to point out that the link between autism and eating disorders is becoming more widely understood. So much so, that the Christine McGuinness documentary on female autism this year featured an eating disorder specialist who proposed that all kids presenting at ED clinics be screened for autism.

It tracks that selective schools, who will have a higher than average percentage of gifted + neurodivergent girls (many undiagnosed) will therefore have girls struggling with EDs and other MH issues.

The selective schools don’t produce the disorders. They simply admit the kids who are more likely to develop those disorders by virtue of being neurodivergent.

Edit: sorry, I quoted the wrong post. I was supposed to quote @WhompingWillows

So, it is a self selecting list and not useful for most parents. There are no schools in our LA in that list. So, a pretty pointless list then.

I always find it interesting that some of the mega bucks public boarding schools don’t do that well in these sorts of lists. Eton at 34, charterhouse at 88 doesn’t really feel like a massive endorsement. Guildford high school at number 2 is probably very good value for the results compared to the rest of the top 10 and many of the top 100.

"mainly produce students who suffer from several disorders?"

Oh come on. That's cheap. Ds1 was very happy and I thought they had the right balance for supporting Oxbridge students (not ds1) and all others, and good pastoral care, like I said in my previous post.

Does this include indies or just state?

but it's something more than that - their GCSE results in that table were top notch too, but it was the A levels that were really spectacular (eg compared to the private schools). or at least that's my recollection of the full table that I had in the print edition but have now put out with the recycling.

Wilson's is incredibly selective, it's on a par with QE in Barnet re achieving a place. Many ds who get into other highly ranked private schools like KCS turn down a private place to go to Wilson's.

I’m always slightly dubious about a level rankings in that a school that only allows 3 a levels could get 100% A+ where a school that allows 4 could get everyone those 3A+ and another A but only come out as 75% even though every student got more than 3A+

edited to use + not * can’t make formatting work!!

In February you'll be able to download results from every school in the country and make your own list. Some parents are more interested in Progress 8 scores, others in Attainment 8 scores. I don't like the Times measure because it gives no credit to schools with a mixed ability cohort. It favours schools that are selective, either by design, or by house price.

I don't think they lead children to it. You will find dc with eating disorders at any secondary, I am sure. Maybe some more then others. Just like you find many of them eating tons of junk....constantly see secondary dc in our area eating chocolates etc. Now that my dd is in secondary, I see the same....loads of candy eating going on.....

Yes, my DD1’s school now has one of these famous super-heads. Not a jot of difference has been made to the poor pastoral care. Anyway, the proof of the pudding will be in the Ofsted report as they had inspectors in a month ago.

Vicky Bingham. Was at SSHS.

Who is Vicky?

@PPLs that’s good. Mine however knows of several in the years above from y11 NLCS who do. A bit like thinking no one takes drugs or gets drunk.

it is naïve to think no girls school (in particular - it is not confined to just girls schools) has issues with eating disorders but it is particularly noticeable. The same issues apply to our local grammar which was a factor in not sending DD there.

The point is, you either have a resilient child who can take a normal level of failure/not coming first and pressure in their stride or you don’t. In that basis, really consider your own child’s personality and match the school (not league table) that fits.

As a parent with experience of (children at or recently at) top 10 / top 20 / independent school of the year can I please beg parents to take it with a pinch of salt and really have a careful look around and see if the school will suit YOUR child. As per pp, if I knew then what I know now, I would have completely ignored these league tables (within reason - eg I wouldn’t fork over £20k pa for a school where no one had ever achieved higher than a 6 at GCSE!).