The best schools in England have been revealed in a ‘Fairer Schools’ index which gives a more accurate insight into the places where teachers are truly making a difference in class.
Researchers have measured every school in the country against a series of additional performance metrics to improve on official DfE league tables, and remove some of the built-in bias against secondary schools teaching children from deprived areas.
The results – revealed exclusively by the Mirror – show the schools where teachers are beating the odds to make the greatest positive impact on pupils up to the age of 16.
The study highlights the dozens of schools which have climbed hundreds of places up the rankings when additional factors such as pupil demographics are taken into account.
Use this interactive tool to see how schools in your area have performed
For many years the Government’s method of evaluating secondary school performance, known as the Progress 8 measure, has failed to take into account factors including the number of children from poorer backgrounds at each school.
Doing so, critics say, risks hiding systemic inequalities and providing potentially misleading conclusions about school performance, with regions like the North East seeing its schools unfairly marked down because the areas they serve are not taken into account.
There are growing calls for the new Labour government to provide that crucial context and Ofsted is reported to be considering a new range of measurements for schools that will better inform parents.
The Fairer Schools Index goes some way to redress the ‘false narrative’ of a North / South divide in Government league tables. Developed by the University of Bristol, the index adjusts for variables including pupil demographics, ethnicity, and deprivation.
The results show the real difference that the best schools make rather than pretending every school has an identical intake with the same socio-economic status and background. The Fairer Schools Index has been highlighted by the campaign group Northern Powerhouse Partnership as it calls for a better way of evaluating schools in different areas of the country.
Brymore Academy in Bridgwater came out on top as Somerset’s best school under the measure, finishing 54th nationally and fifth in the South West. Broadoak Academy in North Somerset was the highest climbing school, ranked 991, up 1177 places
South West
Henley Bank High School, Gloucestershire (13) Glenmoor Academy, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (32) Colyton Grammar School, Devon (35) Winton Academy, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (39) Brymore Academy, Somerset (54) Five Acres High School, Gloucestershire (70) Poole High School, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (72) Chulmleigh Community College, Devon (77) Uffculme School, Devon (93) Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy, Torbay (95)
Highest climbers
All Saints Church of England Academy, Plymouth (451) – up 1899 places South Devon College, Torbay (1770) – up 1405 places Marine Academy Plymouth, Plymouth (1065) – up 1329 places Broadoak Academy, North Somerset (991) – up 1177 places Cape Cornwall School, Cornwall (992) – up 1104 places Sir John Hunt Community Sports College, Plymouth (1239) – up 1098 places Cranbrook Education Campus, Devon (474) – up 937 places Redruth School, Cornwall (802) – up 935 places Camborne Science and International Academy, Cornwall (1254) – up 915 places Bridge Learning Campus, Bristol, City of (1913) – up 898 places
Across the North of England, there are 233 schools out of 928 in the region which move up at least one band to ‘average’ or better as a result of applying the fairer measurements.
Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “The Fairer Schools Index exposes the shortcomings of Progress 8 being used to measure any school’s performance on its own.
“By failing to account for a number of different variables related to pupils’ backgrounds, the last government labelled many schools in areas like the North East of England as under-performing while failing to account for demographic differences in helping drive higher outcomes in London schools.
“We are advocating for the adoption of a value-added measure side by side with the current, unadjusted data. This will allow us to recognise better those schools that do the most for those children from backgrounds too often let down in modern Britain.
“We must demand the best for every child. Those schools that beat the odds stacked against their pupils should be recognised as being high performing, and that will drive down the disadvantage gap over the decade to come and reduce the gaps which exist across and between parts of England today.”
The Fairer Schools Index shows that teachers are making a big difference to children growing up in England’s most deprived areas. Red House Academy in Sunderland is the highest climber. It was previously ranked “below average” at 2,720 out of 3,259 schools in the Department for Education’s tables. But using the index, it climbs 1,919 places to be ranked as “average” in 801st position.
How schools rank in each of the nine English regions
Here are the top ten schools in each of the nine English regions. They are followed by the ten schools which climb the most number of places in the national school rankings when their score is adjusted by the Fairer Schools Index.
Fairer Schools Index: Top ten in each region (and the ten schools which climb the most places compared to the P8 score)
South West
Henley Bank High School, Gloucestershire (13) Glenmoor Academy, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (32) Colyton Grammar School, Devon (35) Winton Academy, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (39) Brymore Academy, Somerset (54) Five Acres High School, Gloucestershire (70) Poole High School, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (72) Chulmleigh Community College, Devon (77) Uffculme School, Devon (93) Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy, Torbay (95)
Highest climbers
All Saints Church of England Academy, Plymouth (451) – up 1899 places South Devon College, Torbay (1770) – up 1405 places Marine Academy Plymouth, Plymouth (1065) – up 1329 places Broadoak Academy, North Somerset (991) – up 1177 places Cape Cornwall School, Cornwall (992) – up 1104 places Sir John Hunt Community Sports College, Plymouth (1239) – up 1098 places Cranbrook Education Campus, Devon (474) – up 937 places Redruth School, Cornwall (802) – up 935 places Camborne Science and International Academy, Cornwall (1254) – up 915 places Bridge Learning Campus, Bristol, City of (1913) – up 898 places
East Midlands
Northampton Academy, Northamptonshire (40) Charles Read Academy, Lincolnshire (55) The King’s School, Grantham, Lincolnshire (58) Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, Lincolnshire (75) Parkside Community School, Derbyshire (80) Kettering Buccleuch Academy, Northamptonshire (137) Skegness Grammar School, Lincolnshire (142) Bishop Stopford School, Northamptonshire (151) Bourne Academy, Lincolnshire (161) The Market Bosworth School, Leicestershire (169)
Highest climbers The Gainsborough Academy, Lincolnshire (1020) – up 1518 places Skegness Academy, Lincolnshire (1537) – up 1280 places The Bulwell Academy, Nottingham (1342) – up 1176 places King Edward VI Academy, Lincolnshire (540) – up 1166 places John Spendluffe Foundation Technology College, Lincolnshire (1557) – up 1106 places Outwood Academy Hasland Hall, Derbyshire (641) – up 1028 places The Oakwood Academy, Nottinghamshire (1220) – up 970 places The Priory Witham Academy, Lincolnshire (1545) – up 907 places Park Vale Academy, Nottingham (972) – up 877 places Nottingham University Samworth Academy, Nottingham (1597) – up 873 places
East of England Chesterton Community College, Cambridgeshire (31) Trumpington Community College, Cambridgeshire (101) Hethersett Academy, Norfolk (97) Sandringham School, Hertfordshire (121) Yavneh College, Hertfordshire (123) Goldington Academy, Bedford (119) Westcliff High School for Boys Academy, Southend-on-Sea (127) Colchester Royal Grammar School, Essex (124) Soham Village College, Cambridgeshire (143) St Bede’s Inter-Church School, Cambridgeshire (157)
Highest climbers
Ormiston Denes Academy, Suffolk (775) – up 1485 places Ormiston Venture Academy, Norfolk (268) – up 1050 places Caister Academy, Norfolk (911) – up 990 places East Point Academy, Suffolk (767) – up 935 places The James Hornsby School, Essex (1474) – up 903 places Great Yarmouth Charter Academy, Norfolk (841) – up 886 places Hewett Academy, Norfolk (1231) – up 871 places Benjamin Britten Academy of Music and Mathematics, Suffolk (1451) – up 817 places Clacton County High School, Essex (614) – up 795 places Smithdon High School, Norfolk (706) – up 662 places
London
Michaela Community School, Brent (2) Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School, Hackney (6) Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy, Hackney (8) Mossbourne Community Academy, Hackney (9) The St Thomas the Apostle College, Southwark (10) Twyford Church of England High School, Ealing (12) Ealing Fields High School, Ealing (14) Menorah High School for Girls, Brent (16) Ark Greenwich Free School, Greenwich (18) Sacred Heart Catholic School, Southwark (20)
Highest climbers
Meridian High School, Croydon (1561) – up 1025 places London Nautical School, Lambeth (542) – up 727 places The Charter School Bermondsey, Southwark (179) – up 699 places St Mary Magdalene Academy, Islington (673) – up 677 places Haggerston School, Hackney (457) – up 671 places The Urswick School – A Church of England Secondary School, Hackney (679) – up 648 places City of London Academy Islington, Islington (1318) – up 609 places Acland Burghley School, Camden (1387) – up 594 places Kingsdale Foundation School, Southwark (725) – up 573 places Cleeve Park School, Bexley (1197) – up 527 places
North East Norham High School, North Tyneside (17) Tanfield School, Durham (22) The Academy at Shotton Hall, Durham (24) Ashington Academy, Northumberland (29) Sedgefield Community College, Durham (114) Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Gateshead, Gateshead (135) St Leonard’s Catholic School, Durham, Durham (139) Belmont Community School, Durham (174) North Shore Academy, Stockton-on-Tees (205) Freebrough Academy, Redcar and Cleveland (250)
Highest climbers
Red House Academy, Sunderland (801) – up 1919 places Dene Academy, Durham (532) – up 1772 places Unity City Academy, Middlesbrough (1157) – up 1666 places King James I Academy Bishop Auckland, Durham (426) – up 1569 places Jarrow School, South Tyneside (590) – up 1514 places Manor Community Academy, Hartlepool (592) – up 1490 places Boldon School, South Tyneside (1316) – up 1357 places Thornaby Academy, Stockton-on-Tees (1445) – up 1301 places Ferryhill School, Durham (1170) – up 1293 places The Blyth Academy, Northumberland (676) – up 1245 places
North West Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School, Blackburn with Darwen (7) Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy , Manchester, Manchester (37) Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School, Blackburn with Darwen (38) Burnage Academy for Boys, Manchester (42) Manchester Communication Academy, Manchester (47) Upton Hall School FCJ, Wirral (48) Archbishop Blanch CofE High School, Liverpool (60) Bishop Heber High School, Cheshire West and Chester (61) Saint Ambrose College, Trafford (63) The Blue Coat School, Liverpool (67)
Highest climbers
Birkenhead Park School, Wirral (1315) – up 1575 places West Derby School, Liverpool (681) – up 1485 places Ridgeway High School, Wirral (923) – up 1412 places Saint Paul’s Catholic High School, Manchester (1498) – up 1258 places All Saints Catholic High School, Knowsley (1284) – up 1239 places Litherland High School, Sefton (1176) – up 1215 places North Liverpool Academy, Liverpool (900) – up 1211 places Hillside High School, Sefton (1524) – up 1165 places Salford City Academy, Salford (369) – up 1158 places Cardinal Heenan Catholic High School, Liverpool (1657) – up 1155 places
South East
St Peter’s Catholic School, Surrey (15) St Andrew’s Catholic School, Surrey (33) St Oscar Romero Catholic School, West Sussex (34) Dr Challoner’s Grammar School, Buckinghamshire (36) Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School, Medway (59) St Richard’s Catholic College, East Sussex (73) Dane Court Grammar School, Kent (74) Broadwater School, Surrey (84) Dartford Grammar School, Kent (86) Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, Kent (109)
Highest climbers
Hartsdown Academy, Kent (894) – up 1656 places Castle View Academy, Portsmouth (452) – up 1557 places Kings College Guildford, Surrey (920) – up 1410 places Orchards Academy, Kent (621) – up 1140 places The Royal Harbour Academy, Kent (2179) – up 852 places The Bay Church of England School, Isle of Wight (1505) – up 834 places The Charles Dickens School, Kent (604) – up 795 places Brighton Aldridge Community Academy, Brighton and Hove (1958) – up 757 places Ryde Academy, Isle of Wight (731) – up 744 places Weston Secondary School, Southampton (2013) – up 735 places
West Midlands The Steiner Academy Hereford, Herefordshire, County of (1) Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham, Birmingham (4) Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham, Birmingham (5) St Paul’s School for Girls, Birmingham (11) Fairfield High School, Herefordshire, County of (19) Eden Girls’ School Coventry, Coventry (28) Bloxwich Academy, Walsall (45) King Edward VI School, Warwickshire (56) King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys, Birmingham (71) Alcester Academy, Warwickshire (76)
Highest climbers
King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy, Birmingham (1396) – up 1485 places Grace Academy Solihull, Solihull (366) – up 1416 places Greenwood Academy, Birmingham (568) – up 1387 places Moreton School, Wolverhampton (727) – up 1356 places Ormiston Shelfield Community Academy, Walsall (1402) – up 1265 places St Matthias School, Wolverhampton (557) – up 1238 places Bartley Green School, Birmingham (1314) – up 1229 places Brownhills Ormiston Academy, Walsall (1352) – up 1149 places Ormiston SWB Academy, Wolverhampton (921) – up 1138 places Turves Green Boys’ School, Birmingham (1612) – up 1119 places
Yorkshire and The Humber
Mercia School, Sheffield (3) Wingfield Academy, Rotherham (27) The Ruth Gorse Academy, Leeds (41) Trinity Academy Cathedral, Wakefield (43) De Warenne Academy, Doncaster (46) The Morley Academy, Leeds (51) Cockburn John Charles Academy, Leeds (52) The Farnley Academy, Leeds (57) Castleford Academy, Wakefield (85) Brayton Academy, North Yorkshire (94)
Highest climbers
Oasis Academy Wintringham, North East Lincolnshire (1437) – up 1256 places Outwood Academy Carlton, Barnsley (971) – up 1235 places The Marvell College, Kingston upon Hull, City of (854) – up 1214 places Netherwood Academy, Barnsley (1234) – up 1209 places Thrybergh Academy, Rotherham (1650) – up 1131 places Barnsley Academy, Barnsley (932) – up 1098 places Outwood Academy Adwick, Doncaster (554) – up 1083 places The Laurel Academy, Doncaster (349) – up 1082 places The Featherstone Academy, Wakefield (853) – up 1041 places Ash Hill Academy, Doncaster (1313) – up 1007 places
Join Somerset Live’s WhatsApp community for top stories and breaking news sent directly to your phone
Somerset Live is now on WhatsApp and we want you to join our community.
Through the app, we’ll send the latest breaking news, top stories, exclusives and much more straight to your phone.
To join our community you need to already have WhatsApp. All you need to do is click this link and select ‘Join Community’.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Somerset Live team.
We also treat community members to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out at any time you like.
To leave our community, click on the name at the top of your screen and choose ‘Exit group’.
If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Click here to join our WhatsApp community.