ROPLEY has come top of the class in this year's primary school performance tables for Hampshire.

It is one of more than 300 schools featured in the booklet which details last summer's Key Stage Two results for 11 year olds attending LEA schools within the county.

The booklet provides data on the percentage of pupils achieving target level four or above in school stats tests, together with details of teacher assessment in mathematics, English and science - showing how pupils achieved over their final year at primary school.

For the first time, an average point score is given for each school which combines the test results of all of the core subjects to provide an overall average of the school's performance.

It is in this table that Ropley scored an aggregate 300 (the highest possible score) to come joint first with four other schools, including Rowledge.

In describing this year's results as "the best ever", headteacher at Ropley, Libby Bush, attributed her school's success to a team effort.

"We have an excellent team of teaching and support staff who have high expectations," said Mrs Bush, who feels that Hampshire schools benefit in general from good training of quality staff and tend to perform very well.

Hampshire ranked 33rd in the government's LEA league tables this year, with its own county results showing the performance of local schools as follows:

1 Ropley - 300; 13 Bentley - 293; 16 Andrew's Endowed School, Holybourne, - 292; 23 St Mary's School, Bentworth, - 287; 46 Cheriton - 277; 55 Medstead tied with Selborne, - 275; 82 Chawton - 267; 130 St Lawrence School, Alton, tied with Sun Hill Junior School, Alresford, - 256; 154 Wootey Junior School, Alton, - 249; 160 Butts School, Alton, - 248; 167 Four Marks - 246; 236 Anstey Junior School, Alton, - 221.

In addition to these scores, the Key Stage Two booklet contains information about the number of pupils at each school, the number with special educational needs and those eligible to sit Key Stage tests. Figures for authorised and unauthorised absence are also shown.

Hampshire County Council's executive member for education Don Allen said: "This is the fifth year that we have published Key Stage results in a special booklet. The publication is a valuable tool for parents and others, who want to find out more about pupil performance and other aspects of our primary schools.

"However, it is worth remembering that they do not show the whole picture. The data does not highlight individual progress made by pupils, nor the progress made in other areas of the curriculum such as sport and music. Behaviour and attitudes are also not reflected through the figures."

In confirming that the published information provides "only a partial picture of a school's achievements", county education officer Andrew Seber says that the LEA is working with headteachers on ways of measuring the progress made by all pupils.

"As a shorthand, this is often referred to as the 'value added' by schools. This will help us identify schools which achieve very good results in difficult circumstances and others which we will support to improve standards."

Headteacher of Chawton School, Linda Osborn, also points out how the absence of just one pupil can influence the final rating.

In Chawton's case, those pupils who sat the Key State II tests achieved 100 per cent in English and science and 87 per cent in maths but the school's final aggregate was based on the number of children who should have sat the tests and not the number who actually did, so they were missing one child's score.

"The staff and pupils worked so hard during a year fraught with problems. Some of the children had to be rehoused because of flooding and we had building difficulties, but they produced the best performance yet - many achieving level five. We are very proud of them," said Mrs Osborn, who believes the human factor is missing from the equation.

In addition, it should be pointed out that some schools do not feature in the table because they fielded fewer than ten pupils in the Key Stage II tests - among them was Binsted School with just nine eligible children.

p Copies of the Primary School Performance Tables 2001 booklet can be obtained from Hampshire County Council information centres at Winchester, Basingstoke, Farnborough and Waterlooville.