TWO Ilkley schools have been named among the best in the north in the latest Sunday Times Schools Guide.

Ilkley Grammar School is placed seventh in the top ten best state secondary schools in the north and Burley and Woodhead C of E Primary School is placed third in the top ten best primary schools in the north.

For the past two academic years, primary school SATs have been cancelled due to Covid, while GCSE and A-level grades have been based on teacher assessments.

So this year the highest-achieving schools in the UK are ranked using their average results from 2017 to 2019.

The rankings in the secondary school league tables are determined by the average percentage of examination entries in the three years, 2017-19, gaining A* to B grades at A-level and the average percentage of entries returning 9-7 or A* and A grades at GCSE.

Primary school rankings are based on the average outcomes achieved by schools in Standard Assessment Tests (SATs) in the three years, 2017-19.

Ilkley Grammar School head teacher Carly Purnell said: "We are delighted to be identified as one of the highest performing state schools in the north of England based on 3 years of A level and GCSE results from 2017-19. It is an achievement which recognises the consistent outstanding quality of education which is on offer at Ilkley Grammar School and is testament to the hard work and determination of our students, the dedication and expertise of our staff, as well as the unwavering support of parents and carers.

"I am privileged to lead such a fantastic school where students are supported to achieve their personal best and I am very proud of our growing reputation for excellence and our inclusion in The Times as a leading school across the north of the country. Well done and thank you to everyone involved in our continued success!"

The top performing schools in the north and across the UK are revealed in the Parent Power, The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2022, enabling parents to compare schools' performances.

Alastair McCall, editor of Parent Power, said: “The need for clarity about school examination performance has never been greater after two years of centre- and teacher-assessed grades, during which for completely understandable reasons, the numbers of top grades increased dramatically.

“We felt it was important to go back to the last sets of moderated public examination outcomes from 2019, 2018 and 2017 to get the most accurate and current view of school academic achievement. By taking a three-year average, we mitigated against relatively poor performance in a one-off year.

“At a time when some schools are making hard to substantiate claims of academic prowess based on outcomes from 2021 and 2020, we believe these rankings – and all the additional information on offer in Parent Power – provide parents with a more reliable guide to academic achievement in schools today.”

The Sunday Times Schools Guide 2022, available online and as a supplement with The Sunday Times on Sunday, December 5.

Visit: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/best-uk-schools-guide-parent-power-tr95xdztg