ISC press statement: GCSE results 2007

23 August 2007

At today's JCQ press briefing journalists were shown a graph suggesting that independent school's performance was dipping below that of maintained selective schools. This graph is disingenuous for two reasons:
 
First it mixes selective and non-selective independent schools. Some independent schools are highly selective and they outperform all other schools by a wide margin. There are a number of top independent schools this year who have not received a single grade below a B for the entire school.
 
There are far more non-selective independent schools. The purpose of many of these schools is to give children the kind of support they would not receive in the maintained system through very low class sizes and personalised learning. Many of the children at these schools would not pass the entrance exam for maintained selective schools.
 
To lump these schools together is misleading as they have an entirely different role and an entirely different audience.
 
The second reason is that International GCSEs are not included in the JCQ's graph. Mike Cresswell's comment that not enough are taken to affect the statistics is incorrect. Over 200 independent schools now use IGCSEs, mainly for maths and science. These 200 schools are typically amongst the most selective so there is a disproportionate impact on A* and A grades if they are excluded. At ISC schools last year the % of A* and A grades when IGCSEs were included rose from 56.9% to 57.2%. It did not fall as the JCQ graph suggests. We fully anticipate it will rise again this year.
 
The purpose of these graphs is clearly to distract the media's attention from the "hard subject" debate. Last year 84% of pupils taking GCSEs or IGSCEs at ISC schools achieved 5 A*-C including maths, English, one science and one foreign language. In the maintained sector this figure was 44%. JCQ are trying to draw attention away from this issue with a misguided attack on the independent sector.  

Speaking today, Jonathan Shephard, Chief Executive ISC, said: "Today is a day for congratulating children from all schools on their success. It is disappointing that JCQ has chosen to cloud their achievement by these questionable statistics."

Further information available from Alex Caish, Head of Press ISC, 0207 766 7060.