HC Deb 11 January 2001 vol 360 cc629-30W
Mr. Denis Murphy

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what course of action is open to schools who wish to challenge the accuracy of school league tables; and if amended league tables are published in the event of errors being discovered. [144291]

Jacqui Smith

It is open to schools to complain that data published in the annual school performance tables are in error. Where they do so we investigate thoroughly and issue errata amending the figures where appropriate. The publication of the information in league table form is, however, a matter entirely for the media.

We have received complaints about the information published in the secondary school performance tables on 16 November last year from two schools in my hon. Friend's constituency. Following investigation the data for King Edward VI School have been amended, and the school has received an apology for the error. The figures for the second school were found not to be in error. Data are published in the Department's performance tables to a very high level of accuracy. Seven of the 5,400 secondary schools and colleges included in last year's tables have had errata following errors made by the Department or its contractors.