The 10 best schools in every region of the UK – Is yours included?

Researchers have revealed the ten  and they say that the quality of teachers is making a big difference in deprived areas.

Researchers have measured every school in the country against additional performance metrics to improve official league tables and remove some of the built-in bias against secondary schools teaching children from deprived areas.

The results – – show the schools where teachers are beating the odds to make the greatest positive impact on pupils up to the age of 16.

The study highlights the dozens of schools that have climbed hundreds of places up the rankings when additional factors, such as pupil demographics, are considered.

The evaluation of schools’ performance has changed markedly in recent years, with adjustments made to the way children are graded and the method by which inspects and evaluates.

For many years, the Government’s method of evaluating secondary school performance, known as the Progress 8 measure, has failed to take into account factors such as the number of children from poorer backgrounds at each school.

Critics say doing so risks hiding systemic inequalities and providing potentially misleading conclusions about school performance. Regions like the see their schools unfairly marked down because the areas they serve are not considered.

The Fairer Schools Index attempts to redress the ‘false narrative’ of a North / South divide in Government league tables. Developed by the University of Bristol, the index adjusts for variables including pupil demographics, ethnicity, and deprivation.

The results show the difference that the best schools make rather than pretending every school has an identical intake with the same socio-economic status and background.

The campaign group Northern Powerhouse Partnership has highlighted the Fairer Schools Index, calling for a better way of evaluating schools in different areas of the country.

Across the North of England, there are 233 schools out of 928 in the region, which move up at least one band to ‘average’ or better due to applying the fairer measurements.

Henri Murison, Chief Executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said: “The Fairer Schools Index exposes the shortcomings of Progress 8 being used to​ measure any school’s performance on its own.

“By failing to account for a number of​ different variables related to pupils’ backgrounds, the last government labelled many​ schools in areas like the North East of England as under-performing while failing to​ account for demographic differences in helping drive higher outcomes in London​ schools.​

“We are advocating for the adoption of a value-added measure side by side with the​ current, unadjusted data. This will allow us to recognise better those schools that do​ the most for those children from backgrounds that are too often let down in modern Britain.

“We must demand the best for every child. Those schools that beat the odds stacked​ against their pupils should be recognised as being high performing, and that will​ drive down the disadvantage gap over the decade to come and reduce the gaps​ which exi​st across and between parts of England today.”

The Fairer Schools Index shows that teachers are making a big difference to children growing up in England’s most deprived areas. Red House Academy in Sunderland is the highest climber. It was previously ranked “below average” at 2,720 out of 3,259 schools in the Department for Education’s tables. But using the index, it climbs 1,919 places to be ranked as “average” in 801st position.

And Jarrow School in South Tyneside jumps from 2,104 in the DfE rankings to 590 when using the index. Its headteacher, Paul Atkinson, said: “There’s a bigger story to tell in every school. It’s not just about results. Our students come from some of the most deprived areas of the country. About 33% of our students are diagnosed with Special Education Needs and Disabilities and 48% are on free school meals.

“We would love to have the best outcomes in the UK but in terms of our context, is that realistic? You’ve got to aspire to high results, but you’ve got to take into consideration starting points as well. I think it’s critical to take that into account when evaluating schools, so I welcome the Fairer Schools Index.”

Mr Atkinson, who was the school’s assistant head until 2022, says Jarrow has a child-centred approach and is investing heavily in its teachers. It also offers funded rewards and incentives, such as ski and theatre trips and 48 extra-curricular activities including darts, poetry and coding. “The opportunities we offer are phenomenal,” he said. “Alongside that, I’m really proud of the career side we offer in terms of raising aspirations and showing students what’s out there.”

Best performing schools by region (national ranking)

East Midlands

Northampton Academy, Northamptonshire (40)

Charles Read Academy, Lincolnshire (55)

The King’s School, Grantham, Lincolnshire (58)

Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School, Lincolnshire (75)

Parkside Community School, Derbyshire (80)

Kettering Buccleuch Academy, Northamptonshire (137)

Skegness Grammar School, Lincolnshire (142)

Bishop Stopford School, Northamptonshire (151)

Bourne Academy, Lincolnshire (161)

The Market Bosworth School, Leicestershire (169)

East of England

Chesterton Community College, Cambridgeshire (31)

Trumpington Community College, Cambridgeshire (101)

Hethersett Academy, Norfolk (97)

Sandringham School, Hertfordshire (121)

Yavneh College, Hertfordshire (123)

Goldington Academy, Bedford (119)

Westcliff High School for Boys Academy, Southend-on-Sea (127)

Colchester Royal Grammar School, Essex (124)

Soham Village College, Cambridgeshire (143)

St Bede’s Inter-Church School, Cambridgeshire (157)

London 

Michaela Community School, Brent (2)

Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls School, Hackney (6)

Mossbourne Victoria Park Academy, Hackney (8)

Mossbourne Community Academy, Hackney (9)

The St Thomas the Apostle College, Southwark (10)

Twyford Church of England High School, Ealing (12)

Ealing Fields High School, Ealing (14)

Menorah High School for Girls, Brent (16)

Ark Greenwich Free School, Greenwich (18)

Sacred Heart Catholic School, Southwark (20)

North East

Norham High School, North Tyneside (17)

Tanfield School, Durham (22)

The Academy at Shotton Hall, Durham (24)

Ashington Academy, Northumberland (29)

Sedgefield Community College, Durham (114)

Cardinal Hume Catholic School, Gateshead, Gateshead (135)

St Leonard’s Catholic School, Durham, Durham (139)

Belmont Community School, Durham (174)

North Shore Academy, Stockton-on-Tees (205)

Freebrough Academy, Redcar and Cleveland (250)

North West

Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School, Blackburn with Darwen (7)

Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy , Manchester, Manchester (37)

Tauheedul Islam Boys’ High School, Blackburn with Darwen (38)

Burnage Academy for Boys, Manchester (42)

Manchester Communication Academy, Manchester (47)

Upton Hall School FCJ, Wirral (48)

Archbishop Blanch CofE High School, Liverpool (60)

Bishop Heber High School, Cheshire West and Chester (61)

Saint Ambrose College, Trafford (63)

The Blue Coat School, Liverpool (67)

South East

St Peter’s Catholic School, Surrey (15)

St Andrew’s Catholic School, Surrey (33)

St Oscar Romero Catholic School, West Sussex (34)

Dr Challoner’s Grammar School, Buckinghamshire (36)

Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School, Medway (59)

St Richard’s Catholic College, East Sussex (73)

Dane Court Grammar School, Kent (74)

Broadwater School, Surrey (84)

Dartford Grammar School, Kent (86)

Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School, Kent (109)

South West

Henley Bank High School, Gloucestershire (13)

Glenmoor Academy, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (32)

Colyton Grammar School, Devon (35)

Winton Academy, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (39)

Brymore Academy, Somerset (54)

Five Acres High School, Gloucestershire (70)

Poole High School, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (72)

Chulmleigh Community College, Devon (77)

Uffculme School, Devon (93)

Churston Ferrers Grammar School Academy, Torbay (95)

West Midlands

The Steiner Academy Hereford, Herefordshire, County of (1)

Eden Boys’ School, Birmingham, Birmingham (4)

Eden Girls’ Leadership Academy, Birmingham, Birmingham (5)

St Paul’s School for Girls, Birmingham (11)

Fairfield High School, Herefordshire, County of (19)

Eden Girls’ School Coventry, Coventry (28)

Bloxwich Academy, Walsall (45)

King Edward VI School, Warwickshire (56)

King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Boys, Birmingham (71)

Alcester Academy, Warwickshire (76)

Yorkshire and The Humber

Mercia School, Sheffield (3)

Wingfield Academy, Rotherham (27)

The Ruth Gorse Academy, Leeds (41)

Trinity Academy Cathedral, Wakefield (43)

De Warenne Academy, Doncaster (46)

The Morley Academy, Leeds (51)

Cockburn John Charles Academy, Leeds (52)

The Farnley Academy, Leeds (57)

Castleford Academy, Wakefield (85)

Brayton Academy, North Yorkshire (94)