Yavneh is England’s top comprehensive

YAVNEH COLLEGE in Hertfordshire is the top comprehensive in England and Wales, based on the school’s A-level and GCSE performance this year, according to a Sunday Times table.

The school was ranked 52nd in the newspaper’s annual list of the top 500 state secondaries but all of those ahead of it were selective-entry schools.

JFS was the third-placed comprehensive and joint 87th in the national table.

Spencer Lewis, Yavneh’s headteacher, described the ranking as “a wonderful achievement and is a testament to the hard work our pupils put into their studies and to the dedication and expertise of our staff.” Three other Jewish schools appeared in the top 200 — Hasmonean High at 115, King David High School Manchester 135 and JCoSS 173. King David High School Liverpool was placed joint 281.

All are classified as comprehensive with the exception of King David Liverpool, which selects a small percentage of pupils on musical aptitude.

Immanuel College was ranked 181 among the top 400 private schools. Under the method used by the Sunday Times (which double-weights A-level scores), it would have ranked second among the Jewish schools overall.

The top ranked state schools were Queen Elizabeth, followed by Henrietta Barnet, both in Barnet.

Mr Lewis attributed Yavneh’s results “to a mixture of things, including having a very determined set of pupils and parents who are extremely ambitious.

“Our staff provide a huge number of educational interventions at lunchtime and after school, providing pupils with numerous opportunities to improve. The very positive relationship between pupils and staff is another important ingredient in ensuring high standards.”

While the Sunday Times table was based on A-level and GCSE grades, he added, “an even more pleasing statistic is our Progress 8 figure of 1.27 which is the highest of any Hertfordshire school. Progress 8 is all about how well our pupils have done according to their own predicted grades. It is about how much Yavneh College has been able to give them in the time they are with us.”