The league tables for our schools are out.
According to the report from the Lichfield Mercury published online, King Edward VI School saw 65 per cent of students get five or more A* to C grades at GCSE, including English and maths.
The Friary chalked up 58 per cent, while Nether Stowe propped up the Lichfield table with 48 per cent.
But are these tables teaching us anything we didn’t know? Everyone in Lichfield knows what the reputation (often deserved) of the three schools is like. Yes, it’s probably useful for those moving to the area to see, but such a data collection exercise is costly to meet the needs of a few.
And then there’s the ethical question of whether a school like Nether Stowe can really climb the rankings if it’s constantly having the boot put in publicly. If the tables are actually a factor in parents sending their child to a certain school (and I’m not sure that they, on their own merits are), then does parents of clever kids sending them to King Eddies because it’s the best performing really benefit the lower performing schools?
Surely schools should be aiming to bring children up to a level rather than lowering them down?
If anything, league tables should analyse how well schools in a geographic region do. That way the emphasis would be on all of Lichfield’s schools to work together and use best practice in order to provide the best quality education possible, rather than aiming for top spot at the expense of those not fortunate enough for geographic or educational reasons.
