Maharishi school’s top spot

MAHARISHI Free School has been named the top secondary school in West Lancashire by the Real Schools Guide 2020.

The Lathom school was followed by St Bede’s Catholic High School in Ormskirk in second, and Up Holland High School n third.

The Real Schools Guide 2020, compiled by Advertiser publisher Reach’s data unit, aims to give a far more comprehensive picture than traditional league tables.

It takes into account 51 different data points – including not just GCSE results and Attainment 8 scores but also factors like Progress 8, pupil-teacher ratios and absence rates.

Parents can also go online to browse the full data, compare different schools, and find links to contact details and recent Ofsted reports.

The guide, now in its eighth year, has been praised by ministers and education experts alike. Former schools minister David Laws called it “public service journalism in the best tradition”.