Technology colleges top league table

Education: Traditional schools overshadowed as GCSE results justify longer days, target-setting and homework clubs

THIS YEAR'S league tables are dominated for both achievement and improvement by technology colleges, which were backed by this government and the last as a way of raising standards.

Their success vindicates the Government's support for a longer school day, target-setting and lunchtime homework clubs, which have been pioneered in the 15 city technology colleges (CTCs) set up by the Conservative government.

The four most improved state schools at GCSE on a government list issued yesterday are city technology colleges. The list is based on the increase in the percentage of pupils gaining five or more good grades between 1995 and 1998.

The top school by the tables' new yardstick, the GCSE points score, is also a CTC. Two technology colleges are in the top dozen for the highest proportion of pupils gaining five good grades.

Sir Cyril Taylor, chairman of the Technology Colleges Trust, said: "These outstanding results show how effective the CTC style of education is in raising standards. Many of the techniques pioneered by the pilot group of CTCs are now being used by many other schools, including the 330 specialist schools."

Overall, 66 per cent of pupils at the colleges achieved five A*-C grades compared with a national average of 46 per cent.

However, results from another CTC, Harris in Croydon, south London, show how difficult it is to sustain improvement. Harris was the most improved school last year, but this year the proportion of pupils achieving five or more good grades at GCSE fell back.

The top independent school at A-level is King Edward's School in Birmingham, with a point score of 37.7 - the equivalent of nearly four grade As. The top state school is King Edward VI Grammar School in Chelmsford, Essex, with 33.5.

Some of the comprehensives in the top 20 select pupils either by interview or by deciding a proportion of their intake by a test.

Today's tables are the most sophisticated yet produced and offer more information than before. The new score aims to reflect the achievements of all pupils by giving points for every grade, not just the top three. It is based closely on the system used for years for university entrance at A-level. But most newspapers continue to rank schools by the proportion of pupils achieving five or more good GCSE grades.

Teachers believe that both measures are unfair. John Dunford, general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, said: "The tables give the impression that they are comparing like with like, when it is well known that schools start from a very different situations."

David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said: "The tables remain an unreliable and unfair indicator of schools' achievements. As long as the five A*-C grades remain as the major factor in determining success, the achievements of those pupils who obtain D grades and below will be written off."

Ministers are refining the tables to produce a new value-added measure, which will compare pupils' level of achievement when they enter a school with their exam results when they leave.

This year, the proportion of pupils gaining five good GCSE grades has risen slightly and 7,000 fewer pupils are leaving school without any qualifications. The pass rate at A-level also went up.