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Original poster

The Times School Rankings

116 replies

Ivybound · 01/12/2023 21:31

Does anybody think that The Times' ranking of the schools maybe does not treat the IB in a truly comparable way to A-levels? Just looking at how G&L and NLCS see such a precipitous drop in going from their GCSE ranks to A-level ranks. 1 to 19 for NLCS and 5 to 25 for G&L. Yes, I know some top students might leave the school for sixth form, but still it seems like a very large drop which you do not see at other schools like City Girls, Guildford High, or JAGS for example

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TWICKEN · 03/12/2023 07:40

Ivybound · 03/12/2023 05:23

Why do high achieving schools not participate?

Maybe because they don't want to look mediocre if they're ranked 34th nationally?

I find it quite interesting as they move up and down from year to year - our two local top achieving grammars swapped places this year and know many chose their schools due to last year's rankings. Which is exactly why you shouldn't choose schools like this.

Original poster
Ivybound · 03/12/2023 05:23

Why do high achieving schools not participate?

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Karchibald · 03/12/2023 00:28

Both Haberdashers’ schools in Hertfordshire are not listed, despite their latest results being easily in the top 20-30. I wonder how many other schools also opted out from the list.

BaYandi · 02/12/2023 21:54

Yes please - the article with the best schools in the East Midlands 🙏

WhompingWillows · 02/12/2023 21:39

Any more requests?

nottinghillyummy · 02/12/2023 21:19

DibbleDooDah · 02/12/2023 11:30

My DD is very academic. She got a place at one of the consistently top 10 schools in these league tables. We were encouraged to apply there by her current school. They were absolutely right about academic fit but it just didn’t feel a good fit for everything else. We turned the place down and we were told we were utterly mad by other parents.

She ended up at a school very much seen as a “backup” by many. Think a school more about value add than league tables. They send one child a year to Oxbridge if they’re lucky.

She is on track for all 9s at GCSE, her academic needs are met but she is thriving on everything taking place outside the classroom and it is 100% the best place for her. The league tables never even cross my mind to be honest (hence my curiosity). I just look for consistency in results year on year. I was very happy that during the covid years their grades stayed almost identical to pre covid and now are actually better now we’re back to full external assessment.

I do worry about those who choose to leave somewhere like NLCS to go to SPGS. I mean, what’s the point? The difference in results is minimal. Is it simply prestige and the name?

Prestige plays a big part in this. In my area, we know a lot of parents can afford private school comfortably, so which school their DCs go to and how it ranks in the latest league table become the major talking points at tea parties!

withbelzon · 02/12/2023 19:06

GirlInterrupt · 02/12/2023 18:56

you can access some info for free from the kidify website: https://kidify.co.uk/blog/top-independent-secondary-schools-in-uk

That looks like the same info that's available for free directly from the Times, i.e. the top-level list, unfilterable by region, subject etc.

If anyone does have a subscription, and wouldn't mind posting the A Level physics rankings, I'd be interested. Even some of the best schools are struggling to get good physics teachers in the current climate, so I'm curious as to how it is impacting results.

Original poster
Ivybound · 02/12/2023 17:46

I just discovered they also rank schools by IB performance. NLCS comes out #1 for the IB and also #1 for GCSE performance. Extremely impressive. And now with Vicky Bingham at the helm, how long before they are tops for A-levels as well?!

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Original poster
Ivybound · 02/12/2023 13:50

Good point, so true.

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BonjourCrisette · 02/12/2023 13:11

Pinkback · 02/12/2023 12:59

About 5% of the students who join SPGS come from NLCS junior, according to someone I heard.

Yes, possibly. I was talking about 6th form, but forgot they have juniors at NLCS. That's still only maybe 5 or 6 people though. But I can understand swapping at that stage just as much as at 6th form in terms of wanting a different atmosphere, tbh.

withbelzon · 02/12/2023 13:03

Meredusoleil · 02/12/2023 12:49

Does anyone know when the league tables of secondary schools by London Borough will be available?

If you mean all schools, not just the ones that opt in to the Times survey, it'll be February.

The Times School Rankings
Pinkback · 02/12/2023 12:59

About 5% of the students who join SPGS come from NLCS junior, according to someone I heard.

withbelzon · 02/12/2023 12:57

euff · 02/12/2023 11:05

@Meredusoleil I followed the link that @BarqsHasBite sent and click on the tables header to see them. I don't have a subscription.

This works, but only gives the top level list. You have to subscribe to drill down.

Would someone with a subscription please filter the list for Physics A Level and post the full ranking?

Meredusoleil · 02/12/2023 12:49

Does anyone know when the league tables of secondary schools by London Borough will be available?

withbelzon · 02/12/2023 12:45

Thunderpunt · 02/12/2023 11:55

I wonder why it's not a complete list? Can schools opt out of being on this one (Times)

They have to opt in, not out. They also have to publish their full, detailed results on their websites so the Times can access them..It is unverified data, published by the schools themselves. The Government's verified data for A levels isn't published yet, and is't published in such detail.

shepherdsangeldelight · 02/12/2023 12:45

Ivybound · 02/12/2023 11:33

People would be crazy to leave NLCS, they have the best GCSE results in the entire UK. And now with Vicky running the place and she's talking about bringing in AI to help students, it will be incredible.

Results are not everything.

BonjourCrisette · 02/12/2023 12:33

I do worry about those who choose to leave somewhere like NLCS to go to SPGS. I mean, what’s the point? The difference in results is minimal. Is it simply prestige and the name?

I guess some people might just fancy a change or a different atmosphere. Having said that, DD is at SPGS and the majority of the girls who have joined for A Levels (there aren't that many) seem to have come from considerably less academic schools rather than eg NLCS or wherever.

Meredusoleil · 02/12/2023 12:08

euff · 02/12/2023 11:05

@Meredusoleil I followed the link that @BarqsHasBite sent and click on the tables header to see them. I don't have a subscription.

Got it to work in the end!

Thunderpunt · 02/12/2023 11:55

I wonder why it's not a complete list? Can schools opt out of being on this one (Times)

shockeditellyou · 02/12/2023 11:38

It’s not a complete list, which is quite poor given all state school data will be available on the government schools comparison website. Our local “best” school, for example, isn’t on it.