For those trying to decide schools, fit is always the most important factor, but if you are struggling then the Progress 8 score may be helpful to you. The scores for 2017 have been added to the compare tool in the last few days. I include the scorers for the Bromley and Bexley grammars plus a few Kent ones that are often popular with those in our boroughs. I also throw in some school that are not Grammar more for comparison and might be typical children from my area go to. You can build your own list at https://www.compare-school-performance. ... =secondary

Overall performance at the end of key stage 4 in 2017
Progress 8 score

well above average:
St Olaves’s 0.95
Tonbridge Grammar School 0.91
Townley Grammar School 0.8
Dartford Grammar School 0.79
Newstead Wood School 0.79
Dartford Grammar School for girls 0.68
Beths Grammar School 0.64
The Judd 0.52
Weald of Kent 0.51

Above average:
Wilmington Grammar school for girls 0.45
Bexley Grammar School 0.36
Bullers Wood 0.34
Skinners 0.32
Chislehurst & Sidcup Grammar school 0.3
Chislehurst School for girls 0.22
Darrick Wood 0.19

Average
Bishop Justus 0.17
Wilmington Grammar for boys 0.1
Coopers School 0.03

Below average:
Ravens Wood -0.25

Remember these are not scores and all are actually given within a confidence interval which has not been posted.

sorry Guest 55 could you elaborate? I'm just interested what these mean? To be honest, I've always taken league tables with a pinch of salt, if I want to see how a school is doing I'll always look closer at their individual results and I certainly wouldn't choose a school based solely on league tables.

Like I say, I'm just curious more than anything else.

Thanks!

The progress 8 score is actually given as a range of values - for ecample:
Beth's GS
This school's Progress 8 score is 0.64 Confidence interval 0.44 to 0.84

This means the value lies between this range - so it gives a slightly different picture.

You can get the range by clicking on the '?' here:

https://www.compare-school-performance. ... =secondary

aha I see, yes you're right, to some schools, it gives a totally different picture.

Thanks for pointing this out!

I don't understand these as well as Guest55 but it isn't a league table, it is a measure, the Progress 8 score shows how pupils have improved during secondary school, compared to other pupils who were at the same level when they finished primary school.

Yes, but if you post the range of scores you can see how 'reliable' the data is.

I have also been comparing those figures for the past few weeks, and the same group of schools in the area.

What I noticed was that they all perform well, and mostly have good levels of achievement. The other statistics are also very similar for the group. However there are a couple of figures that are outliers for Newstead that have concerned me.

Entering 3 Sciences: Newstead 78%. Tonbridge, Townley, Bexley all 99% Chis & Sid 92%.
Persistent Absence. Newstead 20%. Nationally 13%. Tonbridge 11%, Townley 4%, Bexley & Chis & Sid <3%.

As a "highly selective" academic school, without any other specialism I believed Newstead would also be entering all Girls for 3x Science? The other comparable schools are, and they're measured the on the same lines of how many got A*/As etc.

1 in 5 pupils also being categorised as "Persistent Absent", when the national average considering all schools is 13%, and among the comparable Grammar schools as low as 4 or 3% is also concerning.

Perhaps it would be an idea to ask if the choice to study double or triple science is made by the DC or the school.

I have a close friend who had multiple meetings with their DCs school asking for the DC to be moved from triple science to double science. Their DC was struggling with Biology and had no intentions of continuing with any of the sciences at A Level. The School refused and insisted they continue with the triple science. What the DC and their parents wanted were overruled by the school.

I haven’t heard to anyone at Nw who wanted to do triple science being told they can’t but then I of course don’t know everyone in the school! I think it is sometimes a case of those who like other subjects more. The school has been great so far in supporting science and they have some great lectures coming up. I would be more worried if girls we’re group herded down a route they didn’t want and whilst STEM is great it isn’t for all (this is from a Mum of a DD who adores her science)