55 per cent of people living in Wales would like to see the return of school league tables, a new poll has suggested.

A study by Beaufort Research, found that over half of the 1,018 respondents would like to see school league tables based on GCSE and A Level results, rather than the school banding system introduced by the Welsh Government, Wales Online reports.

Many teaching unions say they are wary of the school banding system, stating that categorising schools by results, attendance and social deprivation may be the reason why the majority of the public want to see the return to traditional league tables, scrapped by the Welsh Government over a decade ago.

Despite hesitancy over the banding system, many unions such as NASUWT do not believe traditional league tables represent staff and students fairly.

“The problem with such league tables is that they do a grave injustice to those pupils who have done exceptionally well to achieve lesser grades, but are then branded as failures because they have not attained top grades,”  NASUWT Wales Organiser, Rex Phillips commented.

“Teachers constantly strive to do the best for pupils in their charge only and sometimes the best that can be achieved in one school cannot come close to what can be achieved in another school. That may be an inconvenient truth that casts grave doubt on the purpose and usefulness of such league tables, but it is a truth nonetheless,” he said.

Anna Brychan, Director of The National Association of Headteachers Cymru (NAHT Cymru), said she was surprised the percentage in favour of league tables wasn’t higher.

She commented: “League tables can contain useful and interesting information. The problem is that the information is never used for a useful purpose. We want our system to be about what schools do, and are pleased to see that a substantial percentage of people seem to agree.”

A Spokesman for the Welsh Government said it had no intention of returning to ‘simplistic league tables’ in Wales.

He said: “We understand that parents want to know how schools are performing, but we don’t agree that publishing crude league tables is the best way of delivering that information.”

“The new banding system we’re putting in place will give us and parents a clear picture of which of our schools in Wales are doing well and delivering the best outcomes for our young people. Banding will also help us identify how additional support can be offered to those schools which need it the most.”

For the latest news on the school banding system in Wales, follow these links:

• Welsh schools to be placed in performance bands
• School banding scores revealed to Headteachers

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