The Government introduced secondary school performance tables in 1992, followed by primary school league tables in 1996. They were introduced to improve school standards and enable parents to compare the academic success of schools with the others in their Local Education Authority (LEA) and the rest of the nation. Performance tables rank primary and secondary schools throughout England on the basis of their academic performance in English, Maths and Science at primary level and all subjects at GCSE level. Although this allows for comparisons of schools, the tables have also been criticised as an incomplete method of assessing school quality. Northern Ireland published performance tables up until 2000 and Wales has now abandoned tabling as well. In Scotland, performance tables are only compiled for secondary schools.
THE TABLES
England:
The school performance tables are compiled by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), which publishes tables dating back to 1994 on its website.
Search tips:
- ‘LEAs by region’ links you to comparative tables in which all the schools in a given LEA are listed against the national and LEA average for key stage results and year-on-year improvement.
- The ‘background’ link at the top of the Performance Tables page provides enrolment statistics for each school in the LEA (including Special Needs students).
- Secondary table results include absentee statistics.
Wales:
The National Assembly for Wales announced that it was abandoning tabling in July 2001. See the School Performance pages on the National Assembly for Wales site for information on exam results.
Scotland:
Scotland compiles performance tables for secondary schools. The Scottish examination results for 2003/04 are available online.
Northern Ireland:
After wide consultation with teachers, unions, schools and parents, the Northern Ireland Department for Education has decided to drop league tables in 2001. Schools will now publish their own results and achievements in prospectuses in a move intended to give parents a more rounded picture of each school.
HOW THE TABLES ARE COMPILED
The tables are compiled at the end of the academic year and are based on the results of the Key Stage tests, GCSEs, GNVQs and A-levels. Test results and background information are provided by the schools whilst GCSE, GNVQ and A-level results are supplied by the awarding bodies and checked by the schools. The DfES website explains the processes involved in the compilation of primary and secondary school tables.
All the league tables are published in November. More information about the examinations themselves is available in our Qualifications & Examinations section.
READING THE PERFORMANCE TABLES
When reading the results it is important to remember that the tables rank schools on the basis of narrowly defined statistical data - their examination results. It is useful to look at a school’s results over a number of years, to consider whether the numbers have remained consistent or have changed with time.
Primary Schools:
The DfES provides advice on how to read the information contained within the tables. It helps explain which pupils are included and how improvements are measured. It also offers a concise explanation of primary tables (as above).
Secondary Schools:
The DfES gives both a general introduction to the secondary school tables and a more in-depth understanding of the tables, e.g. which pupils are included, how the results are reported and how the points system and absence record works.
The DfES also publishes an explanatory list of abbreviations used in the performance tables
INDEPENDENT SCHOOL PERFORMANCE TABLES
Independent school results are included in the DfES performance tables, but if you would like to see direct comparisons between all independent schools, newspapers compile separate independent school league tables. When reading the results it is worth noting that there is nothing stopping newspapers supplementing the exam statistics with their own criteria, potentially altering the order in which schools may appear from newspaper to newspaper. Try these independent school league tables:
OTHER TYPES OF PERFORMANCE TABLES
Comparisons with similar schools, defined as being in the same benchmark group nationally (e.g. Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools, selective schools, schools with a higher number of pupils eligible for free school meals etc) are produced in Performance and Assessment Reports (PANDA) and Pre-Inspection and Context School Indicators (PICSI). They are not part of the public reporting of schools’ performance but some of the information they gather can appear in the parents’ summary of the inspection report produced by OFSTED. Both can be useful tools in interpreting the statistics produced by the league tables. For example, your local selective grammar school may seem to be doing well against the schools in its LEA but set against the national average of similar schools its results may actually be falling short.
Value-Added Results
Value-added considers schools' input into improving pupils’ performance between the Key Stages. From 1998 through to 2001 the government ran value-added pilot schemes between KS3 and GCSE/GNVQ and between KS2 and KS3, comparing pupil improvement levels and in 2002 it ran a value-added pilot scheme between KS1 and KS2. The Government has published data on the 2002 KS1 - KS2 Value Added Pilot, with information on how to interpret it. You can see the timetable for full implementation on the DfES site.
For another perspective on the tables, several media sources have divided the results by school type.
WHAT THE TABLES DO TELL YOU
The performance tables provide a sense of the academic state of a school. They rank each school on their basic exam statistics. This is a useful starting point from which to look at schools’ academic records. The tables also include some background information about each school. A major criticism often levelled at league tables is that they do not take all the variables, such as selective and non-selective schools, free school meals and so forth, into consideration. Advocates argue, however, that if they did the league tables would be too complicated to use as a comparative tool. As they stand, they do tell you if a school is improving year-on-year, highlight erratic results and reveal general trends. (See ongoing debate.)
WHAT THE TABLES DO NOT TELL YOU
League tables do not provide a specific comparison of similar bracketed schools inside or outside its LEA to help measure the comparative success of certain types of school. Value-added measures should help - these consider schools' input into improving pupil performance between Key Stages. Some schools may not have great exam results but have added more value to pupils’ individual improvement rates than other schools. At present such achievements are not reflected in all the tables, which merely rank schools by their raw results, but full publication of value-added data is expected by 2005 - see the timetable, learn more about value-added tables and see the top 5% of primary schools in England using the value-added measure.
They reveal nothing of the ethos of the school, nor for instance, the school’s standpoint on non-academic issues such as bullying and drugs. To objectively assess a school, parents would be wise to examine the school’s OFSTED reports, the School Governors’ annual reports and to visit the school in person. You can search for performance results and a school’s accompanying OFSTED Report at the DfES's parents' site. You’ll find more information in our School Inspections section.
Critics of the league table system feel that there is more to schools than just exams. Performance tables have been accused of creating divisions within the education system. By failing to explore a school in its entirety, they overlook any achievements outside the classroom and the less tangible qualities of a safe secure and positive environment in which to learn. (See ongoing debate.)
ONGOING DEBATE
A lot has been written in the press about performance tables and their strengths and weaknesses in assessing a school. Head teachers, politicians and parents have all voiced their opinions. For more information on the issues surrounding league tables keep in touch with these education sections in the media:
visit the forums 
back to last page
print
