School League tables

[tiffinboys]

A report on School League tables on BBC News

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38809805" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Eccentric]

I know for certain that this happens in some indies. Students are not allowed to take GCSE's or A'Levels unless they get a B in Mocks and have to sit them in neighbouring State schools that are glad of an extra C. I have come across a number of young people who have been told that they have to leave 2 particular indies because it wasn't looking as though they were going to get good enough results.

[Guest55]

Eccentric - the state school can't 'claim' that grade C - the student sitting as a 'private' candidate is not on roll.

Only students on roll in the January census can be included in state school results.

However you are correct about Private schools 'manipulating' results.

[quasimodo]

I know for certain that this happens in some indies. Students are not allowed to take GCSE's or A'Levels unless they get a B in Mocks and have to sit them in neighbouring State schools that are glad of an extra C. I have come across a number of young people who have been told that they have to leave 2 particular indies because it wasn't looking as though they were going to get good enough results.

I have heard such stories anecdotally about some child named X or Y being made to leave certain independent schools because of "problems" and they then take their exams at other schools.What is interesting when some of the children reappear at university and they then explain what occurred to their former schoolmates at the same university.I was having a several hour conversation with one boy last year who during it had explained in his school from year 7 to year 13 about 20 boys had for one reason or another mainly academic reasons not remained there until the end with some being asked to find other schools.It is difficult to know the impact of this as a comparison as even at grammar schools I am sure there are similar pressures hence the emphasis on certain grades before being allowed to move from one year to another and those grade boundaries slowly increasing upwards.

I would love to see school school league tables where the new information has been inputted purely for the sake of curiosity.

[salsa]

Well, I know someone at St Olave's whose parents were told in year 7 that languages were not his thing, so forget about being entered for GCSE!
About taking GCSEs "externally", my understanding is that even if children do, the results would go on the school's league tables if they taught the subject.
Salsa

[Amber]

One of my saddest experiences was when working for a hospital education service with some very sick children. On two separate occasions the same (state grammar) school refused to allow my students to sit for a foundation level GCSE as they didn't want a lower grade on their league table stats. One had a very serious physical condition and the other a serious mental health issue which also impacted heavily on physical health. Both had worked tremendously hard to get to the stage where they could even consider sitting an exam. It told me a lot about that particular school. Both sat the exam through a local college in the end.

[Bigbirdcw]

Slightly off-track but related to league tables....

How do the tables account for pupils who have taken some GCSE's (or equivalents eg BTEC) early in years 9 and 10 and therefore may "only" sit 7 or 8 in year 11? A lot of our local comprehensives do this to varying degrees.

What are the figures in the tables based on - the final year cohort and what exams they took regardless of the year they took it? or the final year cohort and the exams they took that year?, or the number of GCSE's took in that year regardless of the year of the student?

Just wondering whether this, along with the use of BTECs, has the effect of inflating the pass rates compared to schools which sit all of their students at the end of year 11 and have a purely GCSE focus.

[Guest55]

What are the figures in the tables based on - the final year cohort and what exams they took regardless of the year they took it? or the final year cohort and the exams they took that year?, or the number of GCSE's took in that year regardless of the year of the student?

The tables include all the GCSEs taken and the first grade achieved if any subject has been re-taken. This is to stop the schools that were entering children multiple times for English and Maths to get that grade C.

[kenyancowgirl]

I know for certain that this happens in some indies. Students are not allowed to take GCSE's or A'Levels unless they get a B in Mocks and have to sit them in neighbouring State schools that are glad of an extra C. I have come across a number of young people who have been told that they have to leave 2 particular indies because it wasn't looking as though they were going to get good enough results.

As Guest55 has pointed out this is simply not "certain". I agree that some private schools ask pupils to leave if they are not doing well enough (as opposed to state schools who can only recommend a child leave mid year, not enforce it, except in the case of rule breaking, or at a natural transition point, eg if they do not meet the entry requirement for 6th form). These private school pupils then have to enrol at another school or college. If a private school refuses to enter a student for a particular exam, they can enter as a private candidate, sitting at another exam centre but the exam centre does not "claim" them as their own student. Many private schools used to refuse to allow students to resit GCSEs or AS levels so the school I work in accepted/accepts them as private candidates to allow them to do that - ironic when the private school insists they resit to be allowed to stay but won't let them do it due to the effect on their league tables!

[Catseye]

Private schools live or die on the basis of their league tables.

One of my son's best friends was politely advised to find another school/college after having flunked his year 12 end of year assessment ( his parents were in the process of divorcing).

It was only after my son also threatened to leave with him that the school allowed his mate to resit the whole year !

More money in the bank with no guarantee to progressing to year 13 to complete his A levels.

Quite disgraceful.