SundayTimes Top 100 League Table

[Judy1234]

I wonder why today's table for top 100 secondaries - state and private merged is not on line. Anyway it's interesting in general. 18 state schools in the top 100 and my older children's old schools at I think placed 2, 12 and 18. I think 5 year averages are fairer. No state school in the top 20.

Interesting article says that although some state schools do get good A level results although they're completely eclipsed by the private schools who only educate 7% of children, they aren't as good at getting into university and that perhaps the reason is the schools don't educate broadly and roundly beyond cramming for exams.

Are the figures on that site for prep schools now linked to SATs? I thought that is how they did it for the league tables, which is all these lists are.

Most private schools don't do SATs so I doubt it is a very good table at that level.

"Independent preparatory and junior (250 schools)
Prep schools whose pupils take Standard Assessment Tests (Sats) are ranked on their aggregated performance at Key Stage 2, level 5 for English, maths and science in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Rankings based on performance in each year can be obtained by clicking on the head of the respective columns in the league table."

I don't think I referred to a windsor school. May be it was someone else.

The problem with Govt league tables is that they skew against private. Now that they report 5 A-Cs including Mathematics and English, many independent schools will not register because they do IGCSE Mathematics, despite it being a more rigorous qualification.

The unofficial league tables are likely to be more accurate of true performance.

So yes, based on SATs, hence so many of the preps not being included on the lists.

I think there is another oddity too. There is a very good state school I know which does not rank on those lists, but I know that it should be pretty high up on them. Wonder why that might not be included? It is certainly a large enough school, and the results would put them fairly high up. A search does not find it.

As for IB schools, they are still relatively few that do exclusively IB in their sixth forms, and those that do will not give a jot about league tables.

The IB ones I know of Sevenoaks and NLCS are on the list.
Why the very good state school might not be on I don't know. Sometimes a school forgets to send in data. Sometimes it's a very good school but has a very bad year - happens to all schools. Some schools have refused to give any data at all about results (in the private sector) - I can't remember which but one has refused this year.

Xenia - think it must be about not having the data in on time. I know that even when I worked there they always left it until the compulsary dte for state schools, and therefore never appeared in the very early versions on the league tables. I know that the results were good this year also, so that isn't the issue.

you can search it hula, there is a search option at the top of the page.

tsap - thanks. Found it before. Still can't find the school I was looking for though.

god listen to you all

[remembers why she left mumsnet]

I don't see what's wrong with parents being interested in their children's schooling as much as their food or their health. It's a natural concern.

What the league tables have done is given parents information which 30 years ago only certain clued up parents could find out or know and others chose blind. Now there's more democracy in a sense because parents who can be bothered can look these things up.

send them to the nearest school that their friends are going to

job done

mind you, what would you talk about at dinner parties then ?

Twinset - From your earlier posts I deduce you are moving to my neck of the woods!

scienceteacher they take a fair few from
St John's Beaumont as it is another jesuit school. other Catholic prep kids come to us or our slighter posher cousin in Yorkshire. Of course it goes without saying that the bright catholics all stay down south

slightly uncalled for enid she says trying to remember the last dinner party she went to [hmmm]

I don't know where your neck of the woods is Emsmum! We will be moving to Fulwood hopefully over the summer.

thank gawd for science teacher

It is a rare parent who isn't wanting their children to do well. I don't think you can even say it's a class thing.

In many parts of the country there is no choice of school or at least of state school so it's not an issue.

Of course they want to go where their friensd go. One reason to send them to a private prep too. They follow the herd - same with teenagers. If 99% of the class go to good universities with high A level results even weak teenagers then follow the norm and their friends.

Twinset - we're in a village just up from Fulwood. If you need a fund of local knowledge...

Having worked out which other school you're planning on - I wouldn't say many HP pupils go on there, just a few who live out in that direction. Unless you actually want a Jesuit school (which presumably you do), its relatively low ranking and - for the area - anomalously high fees are not attractive. The general assumption is you're paying a huge premium for fabulous buildings and grounds!

If you sent your DD to HP now, its unlikely there would be a problem with the S. entrance exam and you'd save a lot of travel time and dosh meanwhile. How old's your DD now?

What the league tables have done is given parents information which 30 years ago only certain clued up parents could find out or know and others chose blind. Now there's more democracy in a sense because parents who can be bothered can look these things up....' - Xenia

What absolute rubbish, Xenia.

What most parents want is a system like there is in many other European countries - where all children go to their local school, which provides the same (or a similar) standard of (decent) education. NOT this ridiculously angst-inducing bunfight situation we find ourselves in in the UK. What choice do parents have? The choice to move to another area in order to give your child a good education - which only the middle and upper middle classes can do. The 'choice' to send your child to a selective 'grammar' - so only academically outstanding children are entitled to a good education now, are they?
Or perhaps you are talking about the choice to send your child to a private school (if you're rich) or a sink school (if you're poor).

I think these league tables are dreadful, and only serve as a huge pat on the back those who are rich enough or lucky enough to be able to send their children to 'the best schools in the country'. And I am not talking bitterly - we are lucky that we have some great schools on our doorstep...but what about those who aren't that lucky?

I think there a really good tool to give parents the ability to compare schools and most parents appreciate them. You might well the best school in Devon say but if the results in all schools in Devon are rubbish then a parent has a right to know that.

Many parents don't have a choice, I agree because they can't afford to pay and don't have the talents or abilities or luck to earn enough to pay fees or because there is no choice locally - only one state secondary. So yes many might move from inner London to commuterland to get a better school but I'm not sure they do that all over the country. They also have a choice to home educate.

Surely there will always be some schools better than others unless you deliberately bus poor children into areas where rich middle classes use the state schools (and perhaps ban private schools and home education too) and then I suppose you would get a mix which isn't dependent on house prices.