If you don't like school league tables, look away now!

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Stressed?Moi?
Posts: 1844
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:28 am

If you don't like school league tables, look away now!

Post by Stressed?Moi? »

I know; love them or hate them, this is this year's one:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/le ... sults.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regardless, exam results don't lie and it is nice to be reminded just how lucky we are to have such excellent grammar schools in our county. It doesn't of course reflect how happy kids are (which, I guess, would be difficult to quantify as everyone has rubbish and good days, so it would depend on when they filled their forms in anyway) but at least we can see what they achieve academically at the end of their senior school years.

Well done for the hard work of the teachers and pupils in all of our schools.
Yamin151
Posts: 2405
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2013 8:30 am

Re: If you don't like school league tables, look away now!

Post by Yamin151 »

Stressed?Moi? wrote:I know; love them or hate them, this is this year's one:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/le ... sults.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regardless, exam results don't lie and it is nice to be reminded just how lucky we are to have such excellent grammar schools in our county. It doesn't of course reflect how happy kids are (which, I guess, would be difficult to quantify as everyone has rubbish and good days, so it would depend on when they filled their forms in anyway) but at least we can see what they achieve academically at the end of their senior school years.

Well done for the hard work of the teachers and pupils in all of our schools.

Hmmm, I know you have acknowledged that these results don't reflect how happy children are. But I would also take issue with you saying about the exam results. You are right, the results don't lie, but they actually are not a true reflection of the school unless you compare like with like. A non selective secondary might be an excellent choice but because it also takes those who are not so academic its A to C results can look pretty poor alongside a more selective school, even a non selective school in a more demographically motivated area. Some schools are more determined than others not to let pupils into sixth form without a predicted A at A level, or at least cull after the first year.
I personally think that the only way to measure a school is in progress for each pupil. Is that called value added? How much progress does each pupil make during their school career. That's surely a better measure of how successful that school is at getting at a pupils potential.

As with all tables, interesting starting point but to be taken with a huge pinch of salt.
DC17C
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Re: If you don't like school league tables, look away now!

Post by DC17C »

It could be interesting to see what happens with school preferences this year with RHHS appearing to be higher up the table than HSFG :wink:
Cup of tea
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Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:19 pm

Re: If you don't like school league tables, look away now!

Post by Cup of tea »

DC17C wrote:It could be interesting to see what happens with school preferences this year with RHHS appearing to be higher up the table than HSFG :wink:

Although DC it depends which bit you look at, A*/A grades is much higher for hsfg!
70% hsfg
45% Ribston

as said before league tables can be manipulated and interpreted wrongly!
know of another local GS who made 1candidate (with very low predictions) enter the exams privately so it didn't reflect badly on their results and lower the 100% A*-C grade too much. Personally think that approach is appalling.
DC17C
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Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:34 pm

Re: If you don't like school league tables, look away now!

Post by DC17C »

Cup of tea wrote:
DC17C wrote:It could be interesting to see what happens with school preferences this year with RHHS appearing to be higher up the table than HSFG :wink:

Although DC it depends which bit you look at, A*/A grades is much higher for hsfg!
70% hsfg
45% Ribston

as said before league tables can be manipulated and interpreted wrongly!
know of another local GS who made 1candidate (with very low predictions) enter the exams privately so it didn't reflect badly on their results and lower the 100% A*-C grade too much. Personally think that approach is appalling.
Yes I had noticed the much higher proportion of A/A* grades at HSFG . As for your second point I have heard a very similar story.
Cup of tea
Posts: 139
Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:19 pm

Re: If you don't like school league tables, look away now!

Post by Cup of tea »

Really unfair on the child. At the end of it, they are 16 years old and basically (for whatever reason) being rejected by their school. I wonder what that does for their self esteem?
Stressed?Moi?
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Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:28 am

Re: If you don't like school league tables, look away now!

Post by Stressed?Moi? »

To be honest, I sort of wish I hadn't posted this as it was just meant to be a bit of light relief and certainly as you say Yamin to be taken with a pinch of salt :wink:

I meant what I said about everyone working hard and them all being good schools though.

As an aside, I'm appalled that anyone would even think of entering a child privately for an exam for this reason - this just shouldn't be allowed. As you say Cup of tea, that must really damage a young person's self esteem.
Cup of tea
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Joined: Fri Sep 28, 2012 10:19 pm

Re: If you don't like school league tables, look away now!

Post by Cup of tea »

Stressed, sorry, I didn't mean to sound off, and wasn't criticising you posting it here!
I've seen the damage league tables have done over the past 20 years in education, and when it prompts schools to act in a way similar to described above it shows how hung up some establishments are to "look good" or "better" than the rest, to save their own skin/reputation.
Stressed?Moi?
Posts: 1844
Joined: Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:28 am

Re: If you don't like school league tables, look away now!

Post by Stressed?Moi? »

Cup of tea wrote:Stressed, sorry, I didn't mean to sound off, and wasn't criticising you posting it here!
I've seen the damage league tables have done over the past 20 years in education, and when it prompts schools to act in a way similar to described above it shows how hung up some establishments are to "look good" or "better" than the rest, to save their own skin/reputation.
No problem Cup Of Tea :)
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