Utterly ridiculous government league tables.

What is wrong with saluting the gifts of those who are not suited to an academic course yet do extremely well at what they do.

The problem with this country has always been the esteem in which they hold academic abilities and deride those with more vocational abilities. We have to address that and these tables are going some way to do it. There was a long consultation process between the DfES and academia before agreement was reached on how to forumulate the 'new look' tables.

Regarding Thomas Telford - the school has one of the best Ofsted reports I have ever seen - and they have an intake comprising all abilities in national ratios. Have a look yourselves before giving yourself over to prejudiced and uninformed comments.

It's quite easy for Thomas Telford compared to other comps - an income of £3,000,000 per year from its courses would help any school. Its teachers also has the responsibility of setting the exams. Conflict of interest?

It's obvious to most sensible people that this GNVQ is just a way of playing the system - shove all the pupils on it and they're four fifths of the way to that magic five A* - C GCSEs and Thomas Telford can be top of the tables, with a little help from the government of course.

Again, this is regardless of whether GNVQ ICT is actually what's right for the government. This is one size fits all education which is pandering to the governments league tables.

It is no more disingenuous than saying that the top schools are grammars just because they are rather than because they only admit those from the top quartile.

It is no more disingenuous than saying that the top schools are grammars just because they are rather than because they only admit those from the top quartile.

The head of Thomas Telford seems to think the world of these new tables. Not surprising really, given he can forgo such difficult subjects as languages, maths and science and concentrate on pattern cutting, cake decoration and wired sugar flowers!!

Shut up. 2 years ago (my GCSE year) my old school came joint top of the NS tables with Thomas Telford school. We didn't offer a single GNVQ in year 10 or 11 and still came top with many students taking 13 GCSEs. Private schools have spat the dummy because state schools are getting better and all of a sudden they wonder if its worth the money their parents pay for their education. Mark my words, in a few years time state schools will top the A-Levels list too.

It's quite easy for Thomas Telford compared to other comps - an income of £3,000,000 per year from its courses would help any school. Its teachers also has the responsibility of setting the exams. Conflict of interest?

It's obvious to most sensible people that this GNVQ is just a way of playing the system - shove all the pupils on it and they're four fifths of the way to that magic five A* - C GCSEs and Thomas Telford can be top of the tables, with a little help from the government of course.

Again, this is regardless of whether GNVQ ICT is actually what's right for the students individually. This is one size fits all education which is pandering to the governments league tables.

It's obvious to most sensible people that this GNVQ is just a way of playing the system - shove all the pupils on it and they're four fifths of the way to that magic five A* - C GCSEs and Thomas Telford can be top of the tables, with a little help from the government of course.

State schools top the table but private rivals cry foul

Here is yet another example of the government trying to improve the image of the state education system. Rather than improving standards at comprehensive schools, Labour publishes an "ahead @ 16" league table in which "a distinction in cake decoration is worth more than an A grade in GCSE physics".

The league tables paint an entirely false picture and are completely useless.
Compare the governments "ahead at 16" league table,

1 Thomas Telford (state)
2 Brooke Weston (state)
3 Wolverhampton Girls' High School (state)
4 King Edward VI Camp Hill girls, Birmingham (state)
5 Perse School for Girls, Cambridge (Ind)
103 Westminster School
195 Eton College
346 Winchester College

with The Times's A Level league table (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/displayPopup/0,,39231,00.html)

1 Westminster School
2 Winchester College
3 Sevenoaks School
4 North London Collegiate School
5 Wycombe Abbey School,
6 St Paul's School
7 King's College School
8 St Paul's Girls' School
9 Eton College
10 Southbank International School

The head of Thomas Telford seems to think the world of these new tables. Not surprising really, given he can forgo such difficult subjects as languages, maths and science and concentrate on pattern cutting, cake decoration and wired sugar flowers!!

What is wrong with saluting the gifts of those who are not suited to an academic course yet do extremely well at what they do..

Its nothing new. Public schools and their students always have a tantrum when it seems apparant that their stupidly expensive education is not guaranteeing them a suitable gap between themselves and the unwashed masses.

Interesting how you have neglected to mention where this GNVQ system has been used, such as my dad's school where GCSEs are not a viable option for the children due to their various special needs (I had to be a reader and writer for one of the students in an exam yesterday).

They have tried doing GCSE maths and english, but these students just cannot cope with them. GNVQs have helped all of the students at my dad's school get into college so they can do other courses, whether ICT oriented or not.

Oh come on the complaints are perfectly well founded and anyone who cares about the integrity of our school education should be outraged at the way in which these tables have been fiddled to make poorly performing schools look like theyve become uber overnight - praise be to labour of course.

However, at some point in this time line the heads of the most expensive public schools are bound to cry 'unfair' as they desperately try to justify why people should pay for an education in the modern age. If this ever happens, the only true 'benefit' for parents in sending their kids to a private school would be the social benefit of keeping their little darlings away from some of the 'bad types' that go to state schools.