Top Independent Schools
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SPECIAL REPORT | Saturday September 12 2009 www.ft.com/independentschools2009 Girls surge ahead The female of the species is more studious than the male PLUS Schools feel they lack guidance on ‘public benefit’ spending 2 FINANCIAL TIMES SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12 2009 Top Independent Schools A boycott may have In This Issue helped lift female representation, says David Turner ny teenage girl try- ing to persuade her Aparents to let her switch from single- sex to co-ed would be well advised to hide today’s copy Follow my leader of the Financial Times – CHARACTER BUILDING Charles Batchelor unless she lives in London searches for the elusive rounded education and is clever enough to get into Westminster. Page 7 Girls’ schools dominate the highest reaches of this year’s Financial Times A practical approach A-level league tables for pri- VOCATIONAL TRAINING Some schools are vate schools, although not the top slot. Girls’ schools beginning to recognise the value of Westminster School, a acquiring life-skills, reports Jane Bird boys’ school with a co- Page 8 educational sixth form, is first for the third year run- ning. put the rest Corner of a But it is a rare exception British field within the top 10, which is dominated by girls’ schools, FOREIGN PUPILS led by St Paul’s Girls’ Boarders from overseas School in London. in the shade have become critical to The victory of girls’ the financial health of schools has been exagger- many independent ated by the continuing league table rebellion. Only lege and St Paul’s School – tress of St Paul’s Girls’, was a particular A-level were schools, writes a minority of the schools in are boys’ schools. a reluctant cheerleader for given a “bespoke pro- Ross Tieman the highest academic eche- However, even allowing private girls’ schools as a gramme”, including “indi- Page 10 lons have boycotted this for this, the performance of whole, preferring to limit vidual tutorials” at the autumn’s league tables, but girls’ schools in the FT’s her comments to her own school. Front page: St Paul’s Girls’ School in west London a disproportionate number A-level tables is impressive. institution. Ms Farr said However, “we never see came second. Westminster was top again Daniel Jones of them – such as Eton Col- Clarissa Farr, high mis- girls who were struggling in the exam result as the cen- Top Independent Schools gest single factor behind The head of a similarly Even the harshest critics rival is not providing an Top 10 each school’s performance is selective school that has of league tables have to education that is radically 1 Westminster the quality of the pupils. withdrawn from the league acknowledge that the high- different in quality. But if it 2 St Paul’s Girls Only a small number of tables explained his decision est-ranking schools are is consistently more than 3 North London Collegiate England’s private schools by setting out the stark con- effective at doing what their 100 places below, it is either 4 Magdalen Collegiate are highly academically trast with another school: parent body expects of the teaching its pupils to pass 5 Wycombe Abbey selective – rejecting more “The headmaster of an institution – to teach very national exams less effec- 6 Winchester College candidates than they accept. inner-city London compre- clever children well enough tively or taking a very dif- 7= James Allen’s Girls One head puts this number hensive told me he had to allow them to fulfil their ferent type of pupil. 7= Withington Girls at about 25, saying most are seven pupils who only academic potential. The FT’s league tables 9 Oxford High S for Girls in London and the Home turned up at the school to But this point does not will, hopefully, at least 10= City of London School Counties. The top of the sign in and receive their quite solve the problem of make it easier for parents to for Girls rankings are dominated by Education Maintenance whether it is fair that one probe for answers to such 10= South Hampstead High these schools. KCS, Wimble- Allowances. That’s all he school is ranked a few questions on open day, con- don, typically has about 300 saw of them. They didn’t go places higher than another. fident in the knowledge that applicants for 65 places at to any lessons, but they’d Parents should exercise anecdotal evidence is easier the age of 13, according to still show up in the league common sense: one school a to brush off than numbers results provides clearer vic- headmaster Andrew Halls. tables as ‘fails’.” mere few slots below its in a table. tors, because the number of schools offering them is still quite small. North London Collegiate, the girls’ school, comes top with 65 per cent of entries at Grade 7, although only about a quar- ter of the girls take it. The highest-ranked school that offers only IB in the sixth form is King’s College School, Wimbledon, with 47 per cent at Grade 7. KCS is currently boys-only, but will become co-ed in the sixth form from next year. For some schools, the question is whether there Jump for joy: the upper should be league tables at echelons of the FT rankings all. The trend not to show are dominated by single-sex results continues to gain establishments PA favour in a modest way, with about 50 chosing not to tral purpose of everything.” have their exam results in Instead, a good grade was the public domain last year “almost a by-product” of a and another 30 or so joining good education. them this year. But 15 of Parents should be wary of last year’s rebels have succumbing to a small sense decided to show their of triumph or disaster at a results this year. minor rise or fall in their When Eton withdrew from child’s school. A disastrous the tables last year, Tony performance by a single Little, headmaster, told the child can affect an institu- FT: “There is an argument tion’s exact placing. More- that the fashion for exami- over, some variation in nation league tables, a results from year to year is refreshing and revealing normal, given that the aver- exercise at its inception age level of talent in each some 15 years ago, has year’s upper sixth will vary, become more a constraint even if the teaching remains on teaching and learning the same. than an aid to improve- But a consistent rising or ment.” falling trend over a few In reality, schools can years is more telling. merely stay the process of Westminster School, how- judgment by league table by ever, has remained in the six months. The FT’s annual same place for the past March survey of the top three years: top. 1,000 schools, both private Stephen Spurr, headmas- and state, is able to use data ter, echoed the sentiments from all schools provided by of his counterparts at other the government. But altruis- schools near or at the top of tic heads are still able to the tables, in saying he was take a moral stand by with- looking beyond ensuring drawing from the rankings, students met their triple-A and their counterparts who conditional offers, to the are motivated more by a higher ambition of “what fear of slipping down the level of knowledge” was tables are at least able to needed to thrive at “the top halve the bad publicity. universities to which our Critics of league tables pupils go”. say they do not reveal very The FT’s separate table of much about how good a International Baccalaureate school is because the big- Contributors David Turner Steven Bird Education Correspondent Designer Liz Lightfoot Andy Mears Charles Batchelor Picture Editor Ross Tieman Jane Bird FT Contributors For advertising, contact: Yvette France on: Ursula Milton +44 (0)20 7873 3289; Commissioning Editor e-mail: [email protected] 4 FINANCIAL TIMES SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12 2009 Top Independent Schools It all seems to come down to bursaries CHARITABLE STATUS declined to quantify the aid that (MGS) spends 14 per cent, or schools must give – most particu- almost £1.7m; Pangbourne College Schools feel they lack larly the value of bursary assist- in Berkshire, almost 10 per cent; guidance about ‘public ance. and Moyles Court School in Hamp- Schools say the Commission is shire, 5 per cent. benefit’ spending, being unhelpful and that its The two that failed spent the writes David Turner approach is best summarised as, least: St Anselm’s School in Der- “We can’t describe what public byshire uses less than 1 per cent benefit is, but we know it when we of income, and Highfield Priory rivate schools in England see it”. The Commission argues School in Lancashire spends none. and Wales waited with that there are so many routes to Both schools were judged not “to Pbated breath for the July passing the public benefit test that provide sufficient opportunity to announcement by the quantification is impossible. benefit those who cannot afford Charity Commission naming the And, it adds, if schools fail their the fees”. An option open to all? Boys at Harrow School Alamy schools that failed to meet tough first inspection, they can retry One of the points made by the new requirements to show they before a sanction would be Commission is easily addressed. In saries are what govern success or whose link to alumni is weaker, provide a “public benefit”.