secondary schools

[Mnaveed]

Hi,
Can anyone please recommend when comparing secondary schools, one should look at the GCSE 5 or higher score percentage or progress 8 scores? Also, what is the more authentic site data wise to compare secondary schools?
Thanks.

Progress 8 score
Times newspaper lists of schools
Whether it seems 'right' for your child - tricky in COVID times, but still possible to an extent.

Gov.uk site is the definitive source for data.

If your child is likely to be borderline pass/fail material at GCSEs then the number of Grade 4s or higher is more interesting than Grade 5.

I'd also look at Progress 8 - but broken down by high/medium/low achievers so you can more accurately see how a child like yours is likely to do. And arguably a school with more higher achievers should have a higher progress 8, due to the way the statistic is calculated. To be honest, I think these headline stats really only tell you so much. Most schools achieve results in line with their intakes (if you have a school with results that look way below their intake, that's when you get worried!). My DC's secondary school used to boast one of the highest progress scores in the country, but that was partly because children at their main feeder school underachieved in Y6 SATS. Now the primary school has improved the secondary school's progress scores have gone down.

It’s a combination of a number of factors. Very low progress scores or attainment would be a red flag but if they’re ok, then the school is worth a look. You might want to consider the commute to different schools, the facilities, specialisms and co-curricular offerings, size of school, single-sex vs coed etc.

If using the gov compare tool be careful of some schools that chase various data points, eg the schools that want to get top of the ebacc list which means your FC is forced to do a language even if they don’t want to; schools that don’t give flexibility on science, I know some grammars that insist on all pupils taking triple science leaving them less other options. You can see these when you delve into a particular school.

Harder to see are things like schools who off-roll, number of languages offered, learning outside the classroom, number of teaching vacancies, etc

On the gov compare tool you are not always comparing apples with apples for independent v state as certain qualifications used by independent schools are not recognised amd so are not counted.

Some schools elect not to appear in the Times tables, not necessarily for bad results reasons, I know of two top schools, one independent and one a state grammar who didn’t appear for a few years out of choice, but are both stellar schools.