Quality of education in Marple

[Dave]

Agreed.  The other problem with league tables is that they are solely concerned with how many kids have been crammed through exams.     Some of us think that there's more to education than that. 

[Duke Fame]

You will find the lower down the table you are the less you tell anyone that it's important.

The truth is, it tends to be down to the quality of parenting. Good parents tend to create kids who do well.

[Dave]

You can believe league tables or not, but here (I hope!) is a link to the GCSE results for local schools (including Marple Hall):
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/school-league-tables-improved-gcse-1240459
You will have to click on the "Stockport Average" to find them; (poor web design - that's not obvious).

I 'believe' league tables, in the sense that I have no doubt that the information given in them, about exam passes at the various schools, is accurate.  The problem is not that they are not believable, it is that they serve no useful purpose, despite costing an absolute fortune to produce.   

[dr.chris]

We have recently moved to Marple and my two boys have just started at RH. It hasnt been a faultless process, things are different from where they were before and there is a lot to adjust to.

Its also hard to judge RH now compared to where it could be in a couple of years time, when the builders move out and everything is finished, but right now it does feel a little unsettled. It is a big school but we wanted that to help our boys adjust to going to secondary school.

On the plus side it is amazingly well equipped (well - compared to what we were used to anyways), and the most important thing for us is how the boys have settled in. The eldest loved it right from the start. The younger one has also settled in but it took him a little longer. How well is hard to say as he doesnt give much away but I think hes done very well.

[hollins]

You can believe league tables or not, but here (I hope!) is a link to the GCSE results for local schools (including Marple Hall):
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/school-league-tables-improved-gcse-1240459
You will have to click on the "Stockport Average" to find them; (poor web design - that's not obvious).

[JMC]

Ofsted, SATs, CQC etc etc, they are all flawed, they measure performance by ticking boxes, and dont consider variables. A few years ago (probably nearly 18 years ago) Mellor Primary School came top of the league tables for SATs, several years running, then if i remember correctly, dropped to 3rd or 4th. The reason? They took in a child with learning difficulties who skewed their results. The head teacher at the time pointed out to me what a nonsense the assessment process was.

I agree with this. I looked on the league tables and Mellor was above all the others but there were no kids with SN or FSM whereas some of the other schools there were 20% or more. However i think sadly some people may use this as a reason to drive away from their local school.

[Dave]

Gosh, times must be tough if the independents are having to sell their wares on here. I don't think you can compare the ISI to OFSTED too closely- I'm not aware of independent schools and their teachers being used as pawns in the Government's games.

Miss C hits the nail on the head.  It'd a sad reflection of the times we live in that Her Majesty's Inspectorate, which was proudly and valiantly independent, has morphed into what is in effect an arm of the state.   

[chicken lady]

Ofsted, SATs, CQC etc etc, they are all flawed, they measure performance by ticking boxes, and dont consider variables. A few years ago (probably nearly 18 years ago) Mellor Primary School came top of the league tables for SATs, several years running, then if i remember correctly, dropped to 3rd or 4th. The reason? They took in a child with learning difficulties who skewed their results. The head teacher at the time pointed out to me what a nonsense the assessment process was.

[Miss C]

Gosh, times must be tough if the independents are having to sell their wares on here. I don't think you can compare the ISI to OFSTED too closely- I'm not aware of independent schools and their teachers being used as pawns in the Government's games.
CAMSFC are going through a very difficult time, Marple Hall were very unlucky to have been inspected at the start of the new regime. Stockport schools with poorer data and poorer results have received a more favourable report after the initial zeal of shoving schools into RI or satisfactory has proved unmanageable and so the benchmark has changed again and Rosehill as had already been said has just merged with another school, it's new for staff and for the children. Let's not be too damning of our educational facilities based on OFSTED reports alone. There are plenty of people on here,myself included, who have had children come through Marple schools and colleges with much success and who understand the very difficult job their teachers have.

[BPS]

You can read the Inspection report for Brabyns Preparatory School at http://www.brabynsprepschool.co.uk/inspection-report/.  As an Independent School we are inspected by ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) rather than Ofsted, but have very similar criteria to meet.  If you want any further details please get in touch, details are on the contact page of our website (http://www.brabynsprepschool.co.uk/).

[Howard]

The two reports for Rose Hill have been in exceptionally difficult times for the school. Firstly they had to integrate three schools across two sites (the old Dale site on Walton Drive and the current Rose Hill site on Elmfield). All the while a massive construction job for the new school was taking place at Elmfield drive.

It's hardly a surprise that the staff and children were distracted by these circumstances. Having visited the new school and seen how it's been responded to by the staff and the pupils, I'm fairly sure that Rose Hill's reports will improve rapidly.

[Dave]

I have no connection with the college,and it's a few years since two of our offspring were students there, but glancing through this report I think it's a pretty poor piece of work.  And pretty unfair too, in branding leadership and management as 'inadequate', on a very weak evidence base.    For example, we are told that 'the Principal and senior leaders have been unable to bring about rapid and sustained improvement to the quality of teaching and outcomes for students.' And yet later, we read that 'In 2010/11 success rates for older students were well below average, but have improved this year to a satisfactory level in most subjects..... Around 40% of students are on advanced-vocational programmes; in 2011/12, overall success rates were above average with a very significant proportion of students achieving high grades and making good progress'

So in one year, success rates improved from well below average to a satisfactory level.   And yet the college is deemed to be 'unable to bring about rapid and sustained improvement'. Is one year not rapid enough?  Makes little sense to me.

And this organisation (Ofsted) costs the taxpayer over £200 million a year.     At that price, I think we should feel entitled to something a bit better. 

[JMC]

That is true but All Saints got a 2 as far as I know. Schools in Marple Bridge and Mellor also do well. If children work hard I am sure they will do well. My older 2 are doing very well at MH so far and will be going to Marple College.

[Bowden Guy]

The Ofsted inspection report for Cheadle & Marple Sixth Form College has just been published (link below). They have been given a Grade 3 (requires improvement) - effectively, a "failing" grade under the new Ofsted framework. Given that Rose Hill also received the same grade and that Marple Hall School only received a Grade 3 in early 2012 (which would have been a "requires improvement" judgment under the new regime) the evidence seems to indicate that we are not exactly well blessed with high-performing schools in this neck of the woods. It will be interesting to see how Aquinas fares when they are inspected by Ofsted, having been Grade 1 for many years.


http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-reports/find-inspection-report/provider/ELS/130515