League Tables

KES Parent · Post by **KES Parent** » Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:50 pm

The reason the government won't acknowledge IGCSE is partly class envy, but mainly that there is no coursework involved, just a rather difficult exam, so it would be impossible for them to fiddle the marks.

Guest55 · Post by **Guest55** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 8:10 am

KES parent,

The iGCSE is what is says an International GCSE - is was not designed to test the NC here - it is not the Government that sets exam syllabuses it QCA.

There are 'rules' about which exams are allowed to count and these rules are quite clear - some schools just choose to ignore them ...

tipsy · Post by **tipsy** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 12:27 pm

The only reliable league table is the Financial Times one as it corresponds to exactly what the uni's are looking for. Oxbridge prefer 4 core A'level's compared to the IB. Also in certain league tables EE has the same value as A at A'level which is ridiculous. Also the top schools are opting to do the Cambridge Pre-U as of this year as they think IB and A'level are rubbish. Surely Oxbridge wil prefer this recent qualification as it has been designed by them.

Y · Post by Y » Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:37 pm

tipsy wrote: Also in certain league tables EE has the same value as A at A'level which is ridiculous.

I don't understand the bit about 'EE'. Please could you clarify?

tipsy · Post by **tipsy** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:45 pm

Yes two E's at A'level are equivalent to one A.

P's mum · Post by **P's mum** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:33 am

Not true that top schools think that IB is 'rubbish'. What about Cheltenham Ladies and Sevenoaks for example?

Also certainly not true that Oxbridge isn't intreested, more than half in the itake in my college/ subject/year at cambtridge had the IB.

monstermunch · Post by **monstermunch** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 11:59 am

P's mum wrote:Not true that top schools think that IB is 'rubbish'. What about Cheltenham Ladies and Sevenoaks for example?

Also certainly not true that Oxbridge isn't intreested, more than half in the itake in my college/ subject/year at cambtridge had the IB.

The majority of IB candidates still come from abroad and generally they do diferent IB's than the one in Britain; it is classed as a better IB and anyway Oxbridge love taking on foreign students as they get more fees. If you look in the FT it tells you the schools which send the highest number to Oxbridge. These schools all currently do A'levels and are moving to the Pre-U except the only state school in the table. Cheltenham Ladies and Sevenoaks are good schools but they do not get anywhere near the percentage of pupils into Oxbridge that their soon to be Pre-U counterparts do. Its worth reading the section in the FT and where they see IB schools if you're interested

chad · Post by **chad** » Thu Apr 03, 2008 12:18 pm

Interesting article in the Independent some time ago...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/educa ... 66686.html

and another last October..

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/educa ... 95262.html

and this one gives both the pros and cons...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/educa ... 03599.html

On a personal note .... the head of a Slough grammar recently said in an 'options' meeting that it was becoming increasingly obvious that completing the IB to a good standard gave the student an edge when applying for the more competative courses, such as medicine.