Any insight into why LEH's A Level results plummeted this year?

[ThePlacesYouGo]

We were considering LEH for 11+ but already had some reservations (not least a new, untested Head, plus some cultural issues). Then we saw the A Level results which are dramatically down (both on the last comparable, non-Covid years eg 2019 and 2018, and even more drastically down on the past two years) which have really made us pause.

I'd be grateful if any parents with DDs at the school might be able to shed some light. Was it just a "blip" year (I know they do happen, though this one is pretty drastic) or is there something else going on?

Urgh, I should have learned by now that Mumsnet uses the asterisk for bold text. It plays havic with conversations about exam grades. The above should say:

"... where y is a range where a significant number of students got A-Stars in previous years, they will predict all of those x students an A-Star."

havoc, not havic (fat fingers)

Jeez - since when did the hash symbol do that?! I give up!

Any update on this? Has anyone seen the breakdown by subject and where they did particularly badly? It is such a dip versus historical levels that I am sure the stats will show something

@Coronateachingagain is so strange that this is not up on their website yet all other schools have shared this info

Has anyone got the latest times ranking for schools for both gcses and alevel yet?

LEH did published their result breakdown for 2023 on the website.

www.lehs.org.uk/about/examination-results

The Times 2023 ranking is based on results on 2022, which is one year out of date, and 6-9 years out of date for the 11+ parents this year. Times haven't published one based on 2023 results.

For London ranking based on 2023 GCSE result:
https://www.londonpreprep.com/2023/08/london-gcse-ranking-2023/
A Level
https://www.londonpreprep.com/2023/08/a-level-results-2023-top-london-school-ranking/

Thanks it was not there last week. I will check it out

This list doesn't seem right to me. There are two schools on there which publish GCSE results within the range in the table but are not on the list. There is one school local to me which is noted twice with two different results. Looks like a rush job!

I don't think it is the full list that capture every single schools in London but give u a good list to compared against the schools you have in mind.

And it actually have more schools than the Times Ranking table and compare across state and private schools in one single table. So arguably probably a better one than the Times one for London school (and up to date) no matter how rush the job it is.

So LEH results pretty down across the board, the 3 sciences and also English Psychology etc, the university entrance must be difficult too

The GCSE results still high, do u think if that cohort stay in sixth form the results will be continue going downhill in 2 years time?

No I think it is a 1 off and related to the pupils not taking gcse.
It's worth remembering a high percentage of the LEH pupils joined at age 7 and went straight through the school from 7 to 18 without being examined externally against any other cohort, I think another poster said what the pupils thought was hard work in terms of revision may have not been the same outside the school cohort.
The gcse results were excellent and I'm sure the 6th form teaching will have plenty of focus to ensure the results in summer 24 are reflective of the abilities of the girls.

@roses2 ses2 care to share which schools are the ones you mention? the ranking looks super helpful to me! Schools do update numbers when remarks come in etc so there can always be some small discrepancies... I haven't seen any school double, there are some schools with very similar names which can cause confusion (Latymer / Latymer Upper and boys' and girls's versions of Habs / Hasmonean High etc)

I agree with tennis - a single set of A level results, especially with a cohort that hadn't sat external GCSEs, wouldn't put me off if I was otherwise keen on the school. I think GCSE results are far more important when selecting a senior school as there is plenty of movement for sixth form.

Even for GCSE results it only shows the overall Year 11 cohort academic ability, which can be largely explained by the intake selection and family backgrounds (private vs state), the impact factor of the school facility and other peer factors on the academic end is limited and varied hugely between individual child.

If one takes 11+ now, the GCSE result of a school is a 5 year lagging indicator that has little predictive power to your individual DC actual academic performance in the future.

Not sure how much difference will make, if the DC pass the entrance exam of a school with 95% 7-9 GCSE and one with 80% 7-9, and chose 80% 7-9 in the end, I guess the DC will probably end up very similar result in the end.

The results matter depending on your dc. If they are going to be middle percentile of these schools few percent doesn’t make a difference. However if your dc is on the higher percentile of these schools I think the A* percentage is important as that means they will be surrounded with peers at that level. Everyone chooses school based on different reasons and needs of their dc.

How would one confident know the DC is on the higher percentile in the school ? By looking at the GCSE 8-9% is the old money of A star * *, over 50 schools has over 50% subjects are GCSE 8-9%, does it mean that still not enough A star students surrounded? And social and study with the peers that had 50% GCSE grade 7 is considered a negative thing?

@PreplexJ this is not just based on LEH. I am speaking regarding the tables for all schools. And the conversation about the tables. The kids who achieve A* and all 9s need more of the same kids are around them to push themselves and have that higher level discussions . So depending on what you look for as a parent it does matter ….
again just about the tables. In regards to LEH, I think next year will determine where the school is heading can’t really judge by one year

What I mentioned above is for more than 50 schools in London all have these high achieving students (including LEH) . For all 9s GCSE, top 20 schools each will have 20-40 students per year. I don't know how many kids like this you would need to have keep your DC motivated and pushed but I don't think the effect matter as much as you thought.

Did anyone ask the school directly a question about the A-Level results?

Any guidance on how to choose between SPGS vs LEH vs Henrietta Barnet School. We live near Windsor (west london beyond Heathrow)

DD got thru SPGS , LEH and waiting for HBS.

SPGS is expensive and requires a house move ( school fee + higher house cost), , LEH can be managed from our current house (school fee only with their school bus network), HBS will need a house move (higher house costs, but no fees) if we get a seat (we are outside catchment).

Any areas in W London from where there are more girls going to SPGS? If one were to relocate towards West london for SPGS, what would be areas where there are other SPGS girls (to tag along and go, or arrange any private coach etc).

If you want helpful replies, I would start your own thread with a more relevant title. Having said that, any of these schools seems like quite a commute from where you live so even LEH might be better approached with a house move though you could look at Hampton, Kingston and Teddington which aren't quite so expensive as the areas closer to SPGS or HB.

How is the new head at LEH?
not sure whether DD should go there after poor a level results, new head and the deputy head ‘loathed by all’
how does it compare to KGS/surbiton/wimbledon/putney?