Times Parent Power CDrom

[Freckle]

Anyone buy the Sunday Times today? I don't usually, but bought it for the cdrom advertised on television. However, I don't think it is much cop. I did a search for DS1's school and it isn't even listed. This is a high performing grammar school. The two best high schools in the area (always heavily over-subscribed and high up in the league tables) were also missing from the lists of schools. A letter from DS1's school at the start of term mentioned that they'd had their best exam results ever in 2005 and, as their results are usually pretty much on a parr with the other boys' grammar in the area, you'd expect them to be listed as the other grammar was.

So how do they decide which schools to include? If this is designed to help parents choose their child's school, it isn't much cop if it only lists one school in the whole area which takes boys (the other grammar). One of the girls' grammars (there are 2) was also listed, but no high schools. How much help is that??

[Gobbledigook]

Freckle, I don't know how they work out The Times list - I've not seen this years but I remember last yr that looking at the primaries in our borough, the way they came out in The Times list was quite different to how they came out on teh BBC website with the LEA league tables. One school that was 10th in the LEA league table was way up there on The Times list while the one one that was top of the LEA table didn't even feature in The Times list.

[LIZS]

Couple of things to consider. Not all independent schools sit SATS and they are under no obligation to publish results if they do -hence why the list is not comprehensive. Also at 11+ some children will be sitting entrance tests to independent secondary schools or preparing for Common Entrance so will not necessarily cover the same syllabus as for SAT's - a matter of emphasis on the part of the school's curriculum.

The school our kids attend has decided to do PIP's (not very clear as to what they are though!)instead of KS1 Sats but currently does KS2 SAT's. I wonder if those who are doing 11+ exams in practice even get entered for KS2 SAT's too.

[Stilltrue]

Yes, my eldest 3 are at an independent school which doesn't do SATS. It's a good school but I'm not expecting to see it on the CDrom when I put it on later.

[Freckle]

All state primaries here do SATs as well as 11+ exams, as we are in Kent which has a grammar school system for secondary education. This does not explain why schools which are clearly top performers don't even feature in the cdrom.

[SueW]

Oh bother. I forgot to get it and I don't want to pay 1.99 for access on the website. Grrrr

[greenbean]

Didnt think the CC was much cop either. Just been on the website :www.hotcourses.com. This has a list of results for all the schools in the country - not ranked and not yet 2005,but much more info besides eg: attandance, value added etc. Site was advertised in this week's Sun Times. One annoying thing though you have register to find out any info.

[Rafaella]

I think schools have to supply their details to Times for inclusion. Most of the state schools in my area don't as a policy thing. So its definitely not inclusive of all schools, just those who want to put forward their results ie weighted heavily to private schools. I think the Gov website does tables of all state schools but later in the year or even next year for 2005.

[janinlondon]

Freckle I didn't get the CD-Rom so don't know the answer, but often when there are discrepancies between what are ostensibly the same lists of results its because one site is basing their list on level 4 achievement and another on level 5. Could this be what the difference is? What level is the ST CD measuring? The two lists are usually quite different.

[janinlondon]

Just checked the website and it says: "A school's place in The Sunday Times league tables is determined by the percentage of its students who achieve A and A* grades at GCSE , and A and B grades at A-level. The latter are double weighted." which could explain the difference between this list and a standard league table list.

[janinlondon]

Sorry - me again. The primary school rankings are in fact subject to the problem I mentioned a couple of posts ago. State primaries are ranked according to their level 4 achievement, prep schools are ranked according to their level 5. There is no way to compare the two on a level playing field with this info.