TOUGH new tables for measuring GCSE exam achievements in schools across the country have had a mixed reception in East Hampshire. Top of the state school league table is Eggar's at Alton with 71 per cent, a dip from the 76 per cent it would have scored under the old rules. Sixty-eight per cent of pupils at Liphook's Bohunt School achieved the required five GCSEs (also 76 per cent under the old system of criteria), the figure was 62 per cent at Amery Hill (72 per cent without English and maths), and 49 per cent at The Petersfield School (60 per cent before the English and maths factor was added). Trailing behind was Mill Chase Community College in Bordon, where 35 per cent achieved five A to C grades, including English and maths. The figure rose to 59 per cent without the two core subjects. Top of East Hampshire independent schools are Ditcham Park and Alton Convent, with an unchanged 100 per cent of pupils achieving five or more GCSEs at A to C grade. Hard on their heels is independent Churcher's College, Petersfield, with an unchanged 99 per cent. While exclusive independent Bedales' results took a dramatic dive from 100 per cent to 52 per cent, the school said this week that its tougher international GCSE maths exams were not recognised by the tables. Headmaster Keith Budge told The Herald the new league tables were "thoroughly misleading". Mr Budge said this week: "Bedales is proud of its results at GCSE level, where nearly 60 per cent of grades were A or A*, and nearly 98 per cent equated to the government's new "gold standard" (five passes at A*-C, including English and maths)." "The government's new league table gives a thoroughly misleading view of our students' achievement. It ignores results from the more demanding international GCSE, which is taken by our higher sets in maths – nearly half of the total of candidates. Some of our students take GCSE a year early – for example, in French – and the league table does not reveal this." The tables traditionally record the percentage of pupils at each school gaining five or more GCSEs at grades A to C. But for the first time this year, the Department for Education and Skills has decreed that two of the five GCSEs should be in English language and maths. In addition, a new contextual value-added score (CVA) has been added to the table by the government, aimed at estimating the progress of pupils made in secondary schools following their junior school education. Guidelines to schools say that they should have a CVA of 1,000 if children are making their expected progress. Anything significantly above or below this mark means that children in that school are making better or worse than expected progress. Nigel Poole, the headteacher at TPS, told The Herald: "While there remains room for improvement, the governors and I are satisfied that our contextual value-added measure shows that TPS was effective in educating the students who gained their GCSEs in 2006. "Obviously the local community shares that view, as evidenced by the record number of applications for places made by parents this year." He added that CVA figures showed that "effectively, although the "class of 2000" left with more certificates, the "class of 2001" did "better", given their year six scores and where they have come from." "Of course, what predictions, league tables and results don't take into account is "people" – the human factor. A lot can happen to youngsters between the ages of 11 and 16 – good and bad. "Nor can all this data tell you about atmosphere – you have to sample that for yourself. Rest assured, we shall keep adding value to all of our pupils in and out of the classroom."
