If you’ve spent any time looking at school league tables in the past, then you’ll know how easy it can be to get caught up in the argument over how relevant the academic results of a particular school are. However, it’s worth stepping back for a minute, and considering a few points, before you get too concerned about the academic status of a particular school.
Firstly, results will vary depending on the catchment area and cohort of a school. Ofsted reports generally try to take account of this, and give you some ins
ight into how well the school is performing compared to similar schools around the country. To put it simply, schools in good areas tend to do better than those in more impoverished regions of the country. Try to understand and research a bit more about the area that surrounds a particular school, before you become too concerned about league tables.
Of course, it’s hard to screen out these concerns totally, but you should take any information like this with a pinch of salt. It will help you concentrate on the things that really matter when choosing a school for your child.