Why Roedean doesn’t believe in league tables

Blog Entry

The Roedean Blog

Why Roedean doesn’t believe in league tables

There has been impassioned correspondence recently for and against the publication of league tables.

This year Roedean chose not to supply our hot-off-the-press examination data to the newspapers. I took this decision in a year when we gained our best A level results for several years and succeeded in placing girls in a range of prestigious universities.

What’s wrong with league tables?
The system of leagues table is outdated. Put simply, I believe that changes to the UK examination system mean it is no longer possible to provide accurate information based on a simple summary of August results.

For a start, there is no longer just one exam. Students could be sitting the IB, the Cambridge pre-U, a diploma or the IGCSE.

Then there is the reliability of the results themselves - re-marks are at an all-time high this year, leading to frequent changes of grade.

Should potential parents be concerned about this?
Not at all. Our view of education - that it is far wider than statistics - is shared by many schools.

Roedean parents are discerning people with a sophisticated outlook. I believe they want a more nuanced sense of our genuinely independent education than that indicated by that bluntest of instruments - statistics.

How can the benefits of a Roedean education be measured?
I publish our full GCSE, AS and A level results on this website. I am happy to provide further detailed analysis of our pupils’ academic achievements upon request. My staff are also in regular touch with current parents to provide them with formal and informal feedback.

However, it is perhaps the creative and purposeful buzz of the campus, combined with the mature self-assurance of our pupils, which is the best indicator of a Roedean education.

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Read the recent correspondence on league tables: