Beyond the league tables.....

[emy72]

....I was doing some research about secondary schools for my DD1 (still got a few years left to think about it) and found this......

one of the secondaries is ofsted outstanding and receives 800+ application for only 260 or so places per year. It's a state comprehensive.

Results for GCSE's are high, ie 87% a to c incl english and maths...HOWEVER would these other points worry you?

1 - only 60% of kids go on to do A levels
2 - A levels results are below average
3 - only 1 child got into Oxbridge this year (Cambridge) and in the article he said how he had to go to the local University to find a course in the last few months as he found out that what he was doing wasn't adequate for Cambridge etc all a bit sad really.

I find these sorts of stats worrying as I am wondering whether they are just coaching kids to pass their GCSE's but don't really care what happens after that.

Anyone has any experience/any other things to look out for?

Thanks in advance!

Yes, those points would worry me too.

Perhaps a high proportion of their GCSE results are made up of 'equivalent' qualifications that are worth 3 - 5 GCSEs each, such a BTECs, Didas, etc.

You probably need to talk to the school to get to the bottom of it.

Maybe a lot of the kids go somewhere else for sixth form? A lot of kids at one local school here go to a neighbouring sixth form college, as it is closer to their home and there is no free bus travel after 16.
Go and ask the school, get them to explain the facts. But also look around to see if you can see where the sixth formers go.

I think that destinations after GCSE/A2 tell you more about a school than mere exam results. If other kids flock to the school / their own kids desert them after GCSE, then that tells you a lot.

There is a school local to us that is usually right at the top of the league tables for GCSE results so it looks initially impressive. However if you look at where they go after (they don't have a sixth form), it is usually to naff sixthform colleges (not prestigious schools) to do basket weaving. One year, out of a cohort of thirty kids i.e. 120 AS choices, they were only going on to do about five science subject AS between them.

A friend of ours has moved his DD for sixthform. Her school got fantastic results but it was just an exam factory and they wanted some more extra-curricular roundedness.

Our local Grammar does not get, IMO, particularly good A Level results. However, I believe that this is because their 'home-grown' kids do OK but the influx of newbies at sixthform bring down the average.

Statistics can be misleading: you need 'value added' instead of 'raw scores' if you can (although even 'value added' can be misleading).

Our school does not get particularly brilliant A Level results. We get some into Oxbridge and lots into RG every year so the support is there for those who take advantage of it, but the school lets the kids get their 'true' A Level grade - they don't spoonfeed them into inflated grades so they don't get onto University courses that are beyond their capabilities.

I shouldn't get too tied up on the sixthform issue because you can always move your DD for A Levels. It's a long way off and you don't know how things will pan out e.g. the Grammar may be one of the top schools in the country but it was no use to us because they did not do DD's favourite subject at A Level!
There can be disadvantages to moving for sixthform (eg she will never be Head Girl or Captain of sport etc, but then not many people are anyway) bur if you go somewhere where there are enough other newbies at the same time so there is critical mass, then it will be OK.

"ofsted outstanding "

"87% a to c incl english and maths"

and you are still complaining

Agree that the 60% will be those that stay on and won't include those that go to other sixth forms. But this is still quite a low take up. Regarding the low scores at A level you need to take into account the entry requirements. They may accept Cs as a minimum requirement which will result in lower A2 scores while all other local places you may need Bs or even As to get in. Or it may just be crap.