Staff and pupils at Bishop Vesey’s Grammar School (BVGS) in Sutton Coldfield are celebrating, after the school was ranked 33rd of the nation’s secondary schools in the Sunday Times Parent Power league tables, published on Sunday.

This 26th edition of Parent Power identifies the highest-achieving schools in the UK, ranked by their recent examination results and also places BVGS 5^th in the West Midlands list of state secondary schools.


Headteacher Dominic Robson commented on the results: “Not everyone agrees with league tables, but they can demonstrate the continued improvement we are achieving, as a school, year on year.


“For a school our size with the limited resources we have available this shows what is possible with a team of dedicated teachers, working with pupils who recognise the true value of an inspiring education.


“The real satisfaction for me is not in seeing the school ranked higher than many state or independent schools, fee-paying or not, but in the knowledge that our improving exam results of our pupils will translate into better, longer, more satisfying careers and improved opportunities for young people.


“Tables only tell one part of the story. We support our pupils in all aspects of their development. We recognise an individual with a rounded education, confident in their own abilities will perform better not only in exams, but when facing the challenges of life beyond the school gates.


 “I’m proud of what everyone here at the school is helping us achieve, putting BVGS on the map, not just in the West Midlands, but nationally’’.


This is the first league table that compares the performance of top schools based on the new examinations with their numbered grades from 9 down to 1, rather than A star to G.


The evidence from the tables shows that state schools like BVGS are closing the performance gap on schools in the independent sector.