How to read these tables

General

These tables list secondary schools in the local education authority (LEA) area including:

LEA-maintained schools
self-governing (grant-maintained) schools
City Technology Colleges
other independent schools

Schools which are not special schools are listed first in alphabetical order. Next is a list of any special schools in the area. The final section lists any sixth form centres or consortia which operate in the area.

What background information is included about the school?

The tables give the following details for each school:

the address and telephone number
what type of school it is
what the school's admissions policy is (selective, comprehensive, modern)
whether the school is for girls only, boys only or both
the age range of the school

Parents will also want to take account of their own background knowledge about schools when comparing the results.

Sixth form centres and consortia

In some areas, perhaps to pool resources and offer a wider range of post-16 courses to students, some schools co-operate together in a group known as a sixth form centre or consortium. The particular approach may vary; for example, all students from the schools involved in a consortium might study science at one school and languages at another; or a group of schools might choose to put their resources together so that sixth form teachers and students have a separate building. Where schools are known to be part of a sixth form centre or consortium a symbol

will appear in these tables next to the age range of the school. The centre or consortium will also be named and its results shown separately in the tables, together with the names of the participating schools.

Special needs

Children who need more specialised teaching and facilities may go to special schools. If there are any special schools in the area they are listed separately in alphabetical order at the end of the tables. You can get more detailed information from the school about the performance of children of different abilities.

School particulars

Further information about the schools is provided which parents might find useful. This shows:

the total number of pupils of all ages on the school register on 20 January 1994
the number of pupils aged 16 and over, which gives parents an indication of the size of the school's sixth form
the total number of pupils with statements of special educational needs. These statements describe any learning difficulties which pupils have, and the extra help or equipment which they need. Around 2% of school pupils have statements. If a school has a large number of pupils with statements, its examination results may appear lower than expected
whether the school provides special classes for pupils with statements of special needs
whether an independent school participates in the Assisted Places Scheme which offers help to parents in meeting school fees

Sources of figures

GCSE, GCE A/AS level and IB Diploma results came from the examining bodies concerned, and were checked with schools and colleges. Results for vocational courses were provided by the schools and colleges. Information about authorised and unauthorised absences and lesson times was provided and checked by schools. Background information (such as the school name and address) was also checked by schools. If a school did not confirm that it had checked its examination results and/or background information, t he initials 'E' or 'B' (or both) appear after the age range of the school. There may be minor inconsistencies in the numbers for some schools in the various 'pupil numbers' columns. This is because they have been worked out in different ways and serve different purposes.