Hera wrote:
I am very skeptical about any claims based on performance tables and generally ignore them,
I agree

There are lots of ways to measure the performance of a school and depending on the measurement you use, a different picture can be painted e.g.:
Watford Boys Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs - 84%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs - 96%
Dame Alice Owens Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs - 83%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs - 96%
Parmiters Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs - 83%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs - 94%
Watford Girls Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs - 81%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs - 89%
St Clement Danes Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs - 75%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs - 90%
Rickmansworth Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs - 64%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs - 87%
Queens Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs - 65%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs - 84%
Bushey Meads Grade 5 or above in English & maths GCSEs - 54%
Grade 4 or above in English and maths GCSEs - 80%
These results are for a cohort that entered the school some five or so years ago. By the time the next intake get their GCSE results another five or so years will have passed. Are parents confident that results won't change over 10 years?
Choose the school you think your DC will be happiest at.