Schools A, B, C and D each have 90 pupils at GCSE, but their numbers change before A level. School A reduces by 20, B by 10, C remains the same size, and D increases by 10.
A and B place league table position as high priority, C and D place all round education as a greater priority, and celebrate less able candidates who achieve C – E grades.
At the higher ability end each school has exactly 50 candidates who gain 150 A and B grades between them.
League tables are constructed on the basis of % A, B and produce these results:
| School |
Pulpils
|
Total grades
|
A/B grades
|
% AB
|
| A |
70
|
210
|
150
|
71
|
| B |
80 |
240 |
150 |
62 |
| C |
90 |
270 |
150 |
55 |
| D
|
100
|
300
|
150
|
50
|
-
And so by culling 20 pupils, school A rises 16% up the league tables hoping to suggest it is ‘more academic’. Yet the most able pupils perform exactly the same in A, B, C, D.
- School B, a boarding school, now encourages its overseas pupils (say 25%) to sit A levels in their native language. All achieve A or B grades. B attains 25% x 80 = 20 more A, B grades.
- School C advises its best 50 candidates to sit four A levels. The average score is AABB.
- School D advises its 50 candidates to sit three A levels. All achieve AAA.
The new table becomes:
| School |
Pupils
|
Total grades
|
A/B grades
|
% AB
|
| A
|
70
|
210
|
150
|
71
|
| B
|
80
|
260
|
170
|
65
|
| C
|
90
|
320
|
200
|
62.5
|
| D
|
100
|
300
|
150
|
50 |
School C achieves a higher position than School D, but at School D more pupils gain the AAA offer set by the most selecting universities.