League Tables
There are many types of independent school. In the UK, the independent sector has been the custodian of traditional educational values and at the forefront of educational innovation. If you choose an independent school you are investing in your child’s future and giving them the best possible start in life.
The choice is bewildering and a parent looking at the vast range of schools will find that every school claims to be the best for your child. Fortunately, as a parent you have a range of sources of evidence to consult before embarking on your educational investment. When considering your child’s future you should endeavour to consult as many sources as possible. One of the accessible sources of evidence is found in League Table form. These tables have been the subject of considerable debate and no small amount of controversy; some schools have boycotted the tables and just about all schools criticise them.
League tables can be misleading as they do not measure pastoral care, soft skills and other important aspects of education. The Independent Schools Council does collate results from its member schools on an annual basis and the information is available for parents to view. The information is updated regularly, to ensure that the very latest information is online.
Often external parties take the spreadsheet of ISC schools' exam results and construct league tables from the raw data. The ISC does not recommend such tables as reliable sources of information as numerous mistakes have been made, for example, schools with similar names have been omitted, and incorrect calculations made. Where league tables are published, parents are advised to view them with caution and to consider them as only one part of their decision making process.
Parents are recommended to collect information from all available sources when making their choice of boarding school, such as Independent Schools Inspectorate reports, as well as independent reviews. Parents may wish to consider using the services of professional educational consultants, such as Gabbitas Educational Services, to help them make a fully informed decision. With more than a century of experience in offering guidance to parents from around the world, Gabbitas is able to provide valuable assistance in making your choice of boarding school.
ISN rankings
The Independent Schools Network publishes rankings of boarding schools, derived from its members ratings of all aspects of a school. There are over 60,000 members of the ISN, including parents and current and former pupils and school staff.