How to compare schools in Scotland?

[RedWelly]

We are going to move house next year, also the year ds1 will start primary. We currently live in central scotland and don't want to move very far but not being from the area don't have a lot of local knowledge re schools and have realised there are no league tables here any more. After an hour online looking for comparative reports of any kind, they just don't seem to exist. I phoned the council who said "we're not really into all that". I said what about Higher (A level equivalent) results A-C by school, surely parents want to know that?

• No. People just go to their local school.

Well, our local school ain't that great and like a lot of parents we'd be prepare to move to a better one - if we could get the information. But I'm starting to get a distinct sense of a conspiracy of silence. What am I missing? Is there a way of comparing schools?

Nearlylegless - No offence intended, sorry you took it that way.

I grew up rurally, and we were certainly sent to the only local school without much of a thought. It wasn't great. It must have been fantastic for the teachers: very little homework given out, low expectations from anyone really when it came to results. I got into university (one of two in my admittedly small year) and the head said "What - you?!" I was the top prizewinner in my year, so that said a lot, didn't it. What made the difference for me was encouragement from my dad and a good memory.

The parents who had higher expectations than that simply sent their children to boarding school. Including a few of the teachers. They either sent them straight after P7, or right after o-grades so they'd salvage something from their final 2 years.

Sorry, that doesn't help the OP, but I wanted to mark the contrast between city and rural.

OP - you probably aren't reading this anymore and who can blame you! We post on here instead of AIBU to have an honest discussion without nasty comments. Yes we may disagree but surely the rudeness was unnecessary?
Teacherwith2kids has summed up the situation in urban Scotland far better that I could - go to parentzone, ask around, placement request etc etc like the majority of urban Scotland!

It was an honest discussion until the OP posted:
"It turns parents and children, a whole generation, into passive, docile consumers, content with their lot and who do what they're told by those who're in charge. It reinforces that disease of narrow minded parochialism that I was warned about, the one deep-rooted for generations in the psyche of a lack of self-esteem, of inferiority, of hating those who go against the grain and who strive to improve their lot."

Doesn't really endear her to the people she is trying to get information from, does it?

Don't know if this is the right thread for this but here goes. Just received a Quality and Standards report from my dds school with the following statement under the heading What We Do Well;

Our attainment across the three curricular areas has remained constant and compares favourably with other schools.

Am I wrong in interpreting this as "We haven't improved but we are better than some of the worst performing schools"

Would appreciate other interpretations.

I would read that as we are doing well - as well as other schools in the area.

We have not got any worse!

I know this is an old post, but had to comment!
A few of you mention the HMIE reports however these are only any good if they are recent. My daughter attends school in South Lanarkshire and their last report was 2006 with a follow up on actions in 2008. This is now 2014...