Top 600 primary schools (The 2014Sunday Times Schools Guide)

Key Stages 1-2 and SATs advice

Moderators: Section Moderators, Forum Moderators

fantasyvn2008
Posts: 32
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 11:35 pm

Top 600 primary schools (The 2014Sunday Times Schools Guide)

Post by fantasyvn2008 »

The Sunday Times today has this feature about the top 600 state primary and independent preparatory schools.

This is a new table for 2014-15 which amalgamates the outcomes of the top 500 state primary schools and the top 100 preparatory schools. It allows parents to compare the performance of schools relative to one another across both state and fee-paying schools.

Primary schools are ranked on their performance in Standard Assessment Tests (Sats) taken in 2013.

Prep schools whose pupils take Standard Assessment Tests (Sats) are ranked on their performance in Standard Assessment Tests (Sats) taken in 2013.

As you cannot read The Times without a paid subscription, I include a link to read the full table online:

https://www.scribd.com/doc/246791041/Th ... llscreen=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is very interesting that the best state primary school, at least according to this guide, is a school in Deptford: Grinling Gibbons Primary School.

I have to admit that my son's school is not among this list. At the moment, he is the first on a waiting list of a school in this list.

Should I be worried for my child's opportunity if his school is not in this list?
Guest55
Posts: 16254
Joined: Mon Feb 12, 2007 2:21 pm

Re: Top 600 primary schools (The 2014Sunday Times Schools Gu

Post by Guest55 »

Tests taken in 2013
This information is nearly 18 months out of date ... the DfE 2014 tables will be out in a couple of months ....
Ladymuck
Posts: 1240
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2009 2:04 pm

Re: Top 600 primary schools (The 2014Sunday Times Schools Gu

Post by Ladymuck »

I have had children in 3 prep schools, none of which sit SATS, and therefore won't be on this table. Year 6 SATS in particular come at least a term after the entrance exams/pretests etc that prep schools actually prepare for, and are not used by independent senior schools, so it is only schools who want to market themselves via such tables who get their children to sit SATs.

As for the state schools, much will depend on the context of the school. Some schools get good SAT results because parents have already prepared their children for school entrance tests. I have to say that if any school gets all children to level 5 I would be wondering where they were on entry and at year 2. SATS are a snapshot of attainment of a cohort at a point in time. By itself it tells you little about how "good" a school is. I think it is perfectly possible for an outstanding school to have some pupils to achieve level 4.
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Top 600 primary schools (The 2014Sunday Times Schools Gu

Post by mystery »

The results at the Grinling Gibbons school are just amazing if you look them in the DfE performance tables. If it weren't years too late I'd move to Deptford! They are kids that came in below average, high rates of English as second language, high fsm etc. It's not the tutoring factor here - there's some of the "London factor" though - ethnic minority families who value education but it doesn't look like a soft touch of a school to teach at.

It's interesting reading some of the school policies on the website too. The behaviour policy for example is something else; it sounds like they mean it whereas many just read as though someone went through the motions filling in the bit of paper.

It's fascinating.
KS10
Posts: 2516
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Re: Top 600 primary schools (The 2014Sunday Times Schools Gu

Post by KS10 »

Two words: Newton Farm
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Top 600 primary schools (The 2014Sunday Times Schools Gu

Post by mystery »

Oh, let's hope not.
KS10
Posts: 2516
Joined: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 am

Re: Top 600 primary schools (The 2014Sunday Times Schools Gu

Post by KS10 »

Sorry, I'm not for one moment suggesting the other school is the same, just that league tables hide a multitude of sins. As you say, mystery, let's hope not.
Amber
Posts: 8058
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 11:59 am

Re: Top 600 primary schools (The 2014Sunday Times Schools Gu

Post by Amber »

fantasyvn2008 wrote:Should I be worried for my child's opportunity if his school is not in this list?
No. Really, no. :D
southbucks3
Posts: 3579
Joined: Tue Dec 18, 2012 11:59 am

Re: Top 600 primary schools (The 2014Sunday Times Schools Gu

Post by southbucks3 »

So, comparing the bucks 11+ list to the top 600 list:

Not many feature, knock off the private schools, really one on that list is just .........Well! :?

One state primary in the top 600 list had 22/35 pass the 11+ in 2013 including those withdrawn. This was in the chiltern district area, that has high success rates generally.

Another state primary in wycombe area had <5/30 pass the 11+ in 2013 but is in the top 600 for sats in that same year group. :?:

Another is in the ill fated Aylesbury area, but where the local church of England upper is so good that no one in their right mind would bother with a bus journey to a gs, so tutoring is unlikely, but again <5/31 passed 11+ but the school features highly in the top 600 for sats, sane year group.

So two out of the three state primaries I spotted, in the list of excellent high achieving schools had the maximum of 15% pass the 11+ in a test where 30% of the cohort pass and the third school in a very affluent area in highly successful chiltern district had about 65% pass their 11+!

Extra tutoring? Or teaching style? Or both?
mystery
Posts: 8927
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2009 10:56 pm

Re: Top 600 primary schools (The 2014Sunday Times Schools Gu

Post by mystery »

I can't use the link successfully so I don't really know how this list of schools is compiled.

Is it ordered on the percentage of children getting level 4 in maths, reading, writing and spag or something else?

If it is just based on level 4s the quality of education and the make-up of the intake of the "top" schools could vary enormously in reality.
Post Reply
11 Plus Mocks - Practise the real exam experience - Book Now