School league tables: your views

BBC education correspondent Mike Baker wrote about the school "league tables".

As usual we asked for your thoughts too. Here is a selection.

I fail to see how Ofsted can describe a school as 'good' with only 16% getting a pass (only a pass!) in GCSE Maths and English, no matter how deprived the area....just because the area is deprived doesn't mean kids can't be taught basic Maths and English. Maybe given the nature of its catchment area, it is performing 'satisfactorily' but performing 'well' - I don't think so. I suppose some Ofsted inspectors are more generous than others.... personally I have found their reports very useful in the past when choosing a school... one of the most useful comments is what is said about pupil behaviour, as in a disruptive environment, no one can learn anything much.
Carolyn Kelly, The Hague, The Netherlands

The factor in school life that is not measured but which has an enormous, perhaps predominant, influence on achievement, is student behaviour. Until a highly-weighted score for 'politeness' or some similar concept is included targets will always be of very limited value.
Michael Wallbank, Birmingham, UK.

Educationally the leagues tables add nothing, they are an indicator for parents, the Government and are as you point out, an obstacle to be circumvented by schools. If we really want to solve the problems of learners we need to identify the physical and cognitive barriers to learning and sort those out at the first possible opportunity. But we are trapped in a mindset where we don't want to solve the underlying problems, we just keep immensely busy with new fads and initiatives and look for people to blame.
Charlotte Davies, Croydon, Surrey

Just imagine the impact of the tens of millions spent on SATs on learning if it spent in the classrooms. The data used to judge schools on is usually very old and is based on tests that do not even cover the full scope of the subjects they claim to test let alone the whole National Curriculum or any School's curriculum. The insistance of the primacy of Literacy and Numeracy does not square with the needs of employers entirely nor does it help us celebrate the range of talents and abilities our young people have.
Steve McGill, Maidstone, Kent

Coming from the city which was bottom of the league tables I feel that it is time for them to be abolished. The new Ofsted inspections give a more accurate picture of how a school is performing. Geographical boundaries play a huge part in league tables. Nebertheless, Hull has to do much better for it's secondary pupils.
Helen Schofield, Kingston upon Hull

A sound and well informed piece. Watching & listening to BBC coverage made me feel that no-one within the BBC team understood or was interested in the impact of 'league tables' on schools. This article shows a good understanding - but having just read it, I can't yet decide whether I am heartened by this or dispirited. Since the understanding is there why can't this level be expressed more clearly through the broadcast medium. Is it such a complex case that your professionals can't explain it to your wider audience? A rare few would bother to read it hidden here on the web site.
Lindy Stone, Sheffield UK

Your last line says it all and I hope you are correct. But until politicians stop using results in education to score points for themselves and their political parties those of us in education who are actually here for the children, as most of us are, will always be subject to that yo-yo of opinion. No wander the GTC is expressing its concerns about the lack of candidates for Headship.
Doug Hartley, Headteacher Gt Hockham, Thetford Norfolk

League Tables are a waste of time. My children went to a 'good' comprehensive, that was always very high in the league tables, mainly due to the fact that most parents were having their children tutored after school to ensure they passed their maths and english GCSE's. This goes for primary schools as well, as well off families have their children tutored to get into private senior schools, thus distorting the Key Stage Two results. Parents know whether a school is good, they do not need a league table to show them.
Joan Raymond,