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Independent Schools Council
ISC calls for an end to “flawed and misleading” government league tables
The Independent Schools Council (ISC) strongly criticises the attainment and achievement tables published today by the DCSF as flawed, incomplete and misleading:

• the tables do not include results for IGCSE examinations and are therefore incomplete
• the new science indicator does not include pupils who take GCSEs - even with A* results - in two separate sciences.

The result is that the achievements of some of the highest performing pupils and some of the highest performing schools are undervalued and ignored.

Chief Executive of ISC Jonathan Shephard, said:

"These flawed and misleading tables are a travesty of fair reporting. Children who gain two A* grades in separate science subjects are ranked below children who gain a single grade C in combined science. Children who take the demanding IGCSE examinations are given no credit at all. It is time for common sense to prevail and for these silly tables to be scrapped.”

Notes to editors:

IGCSE
The DCSF indicators of GCSE performance do not include IGCSEs.
The DCSF indicator of the % of pupils gaining 5 or more GCSEs at A* to C including English and Maths at independent schools was 60.2% in their provisional release. This proportion at ISC schools, including IGCSEs, is actually 93.5%. 34% of ISC schools educating pupils at age 15 offer IGCSEs.

Science at independent schools
ISC pupils take a far higher proportion of A-level science subjects (one in five entries) compared to one in ten of all A-level entries. Latest results show that ISC pupils gain more than a third (36.3%) of A-level A grades in science subjects from school entrants.

Independent school definition
The DCSF definition of independent schools includes non-maintained special and non-ISC schools. ISC school pupils account for 84% of the DCSF's definition of independent school entries.

ISC
The Independent Schools Council (ISC) is a politically independent, not-for-profit umbrella body, representing around 1300 independent schools educating more than 500,000 children in the UK and Ireland.
ISC schools include the well-known boarding schools, though the majority of ISC schools are day schools with strong local reputations.
ISC schools cover the entire academic range and take pupils from a broad cross-section of backgrounds, with nearly a third of children receiving help with fees.
Overall, ISC exists to promote choice, diversity and excellence in education; the development of talent at all levels of ability; and the widening of opportunity for children from all backgrounds to achieve their potential.



Press enquiries: Alexandra Caish, Head of Press, ISC
Telephone: (office) 020 7766 7060 (mobile) 07885 620713
Email: alex.caish@isc.co.uk
Website: http://www.isc.co.uk