Readers comment on whether league tables help parents choose better schools for their children

Parents comment on our latest poll question for a near 50/50 split as they say school is about more than just academia.
Readers comment on whether league tables help parents choose better schools for their children. Picture: PixabayReaders comment on whether league tables help parents choose better schools for their children. Picture: Pixabay
Readers comment on whether league tables help parents choose better schools for their children. Picture: Pixabay

The latest Key Stage 4 school performance tables for 2019 have been published by the Department of Education.

Schools are judged against a measure called Progress 8 which shows how much progress pupils at each school made between the end of key stage 2 and the end of key stage 4, compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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We asked in our Facebook poll: “Are school league tables helpful for parents choosing schools for their children?”

More than 100 people took part in the online vote, and 56% said yes – that was a close 50/50 split.

This is what readers had to say:

Keith Watson said: “Some schools keep their outstanding status by kicking out the under achievers, and don't support the vulnerable ones very much either.”

Richard Abbott-Brailey said: “Are book, restaurant and movie reviews useful? Would I eat at a restaurant that has been awarded one star by food critics? Probably not. Would I want to send my child to a school in special measures? Probably not.

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“My understanding is that new academies are exempt from Ofsted visits for a number of years, but are academies performing well? Are they hell!

“So maybe league tables are not that helpful when it comes to parents choosing schools for their children. A good school may become a failing school in a short time.”