Last week was the time of the year when students get their GCSE results, and there were the predictable press photos of happy young people (usually girls, many spontaneously jumping for joy) with their results. It was also an opportunity for schools to be compared with one another, and here we encounter an uncharacteristic silence from that self-proclaimed education guru, the loathsome Toby Young.
More less than totally grown up behaviour from Tobes
This year was the first crop of GCSE results for Tobes’ West London Free School, built up over the recent past with the help of well over £20 million of public funds - that would be our money - but not, you understand, so that Tobes gets a private-style education for his four kids without the burden of paying school fees. No, the WLFS is merely the manifestation of Tobes’ true altruism in practice.
But here a problem enters: there has been none of the usual trumpet blowing over WLFS’ GCSE results. Why should that be? After all, as the school has told, 76% of pupils scored at least five A* to C grades including English and Mathematics.
Yeah, yeah, yeah ... what about the GCSE results?
Ah well. In some parts of the country, that might be considered a pretty good result, but in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, where WLFS is located, it is merely ordinary. How ordinary? Here’s a list of the schools that did either as well, or better, than WLFS. Yes, a list. That means there are better schools plural.
Sacred Heart High School scored 84% Five A*-C including English and Maths.
Lady Margaret School scored more than 84% Five A*-C including English and Maths (improving its performance by 10% on last year).
The London Oratory School scored 86% Five A*-C including English and Maths.
Fulham Cross Girls’ School scored 76% Five A*-C including English and Maths.
I WONDER WHY
Whichever way you slice it, Tobes’ school came either joint fourth, or fifth. Worse, I’m told by a local source that WLFS is under-performing in the value added category, which in plain English means the taxpayer is getting poor value for all that money that was thrown at Tobes’ pet project. Small wonder he isn’t crowing right now.
Yet worse, The Real Schools Guide for 2016 rates WLFS at just one star, down from two the previous year, and ranks it just tenth among other local schools.
Tobes was nicknamed Captain Bellend for a good reason. Because he’s a bellend.
9 comments:
Has he (S)queer(s)'ed his pitch?
I'm still convinced that it's all going to turn out to be a real estate scam. Get his last kid through, decide it's all not working out, close it down and voila! He's sitting on a prime chunk of west London land.
Cue Toby Jug appearing on BBC Newsnight [sic] with waving arms and furrowed brow to indicate "intensity."
Meanwhile, Emily Witchy Poo Whatshername will stab the air with a pen and stare at people to indicate HER intensity.
Dunno why they don't get a room.
Usual bitter and ignorant 'reporting' from Zelo St. This is a good outcome for the pupils at this school. Over 37% of grades at A* or A, Outstanding results in Maths, Science, Music, Art, Latin, RE and the humanities. Overall A-C pass-rate of 84%. Great platform to build on.
@4
However "great" the WLFS results, other local schools did better and WLFS is under-performing on value added criteria.
Perhaps you should get Tobes to do his own comments in future - now he's no longer on the school payroll.
This is a partially selective school. Not only that, a significant proportion of the kids who started on day 1, that's the cohort which just got its GCSE results, were from the nicer parts of H&F and Ealing. Middle class kids. Not all by any means, but many were from the sorts of families which thought like Mr "Twat Madrassa" Young that they would be getting a private school education for free.
Some of those kids were withdrawn early on, as it dawned on their parents that little Tabitha, Rupert and Jacinta were sharing their classrooms with shock horror, kids from the White City estate.
The poshies hightailed it to Lady Margaret's and similar, leaving WLFS with a depleted year group and a smaller proportion of coached and tutored middle class kids with pushy, entitled parents.
While we're talking about value added, have a look at Phoenix High School - they achieved a massive 14 point increase on last year, in a really tough year for everyone else.
I'm not surprised the WLFS results were less than stellar. The mystery is why Young thought they were so bloody brilliant.
Tobes is a King Midas In Reverse.
Everything he touches turns to shit.
Tim
- what is the overall ranking of schools for the Borough?
Also, is there any clear indication of what school is LA/Academy/Free School?
Can't be arsed doing the research myself - sorry. But would like more ammunution at Toby Young's expense.
As an ex-teacher I count the Value Added Score as generally a better indicator of a good school than the results. If they are under-performing there it's down to the school staff and almost nothing else.
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