At the foot of the table, the embarrassment of Simon Langton Boys and Queen Elizabeth’s being Below Average have vanished, with Harvey, Maidstone Grammar and Simon Langton, having climbed out, to be replaced by Dane Court and Tunbridge Wells Boys.

As I observed last year, all on the list must all be concerned at their performance which will itself hinder future recruitment of the quality staff and leaders needed to improve matters. This is exemplified by Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey, which in the year in question had just two thirds of its teachers with Qualified Teacher status.

I have written before about Hartsdown Academy, whose make up is described in the Ofsted Report of 2017 as: Pupils’ standards on entry to Hartsdown are well below the national average. When the present Year 7 pupils arrived, the great majority of them had reading ages below those typical for their age, and poor skills in mathematics. A very high proportion of pupils are vulnerable and/or disadvantaged. An above-average number of them leave and enter the school after Year 7. All these factors inhibit progress and, in the past, have had a negative impact on the school’s GCSE results. In recent years the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds has increased to at least one-third of Year 11 in 2017. Often, these pupils do not speak English on arrival or have not experienced formal education. With very low starting points and poor attendance, these pupils’ progress is well below that of other pupils’. My article on the Report also describes its controversial headteacher, whose leadership would apparently turn the school around. Self-evidently he is failing to do so, with the lowest Attainment 8 in the country, and fourth lowest Progress 8 (excluding UTCs which recruit into Year 10). Further articles (easily accessible through my search engine) look at the subsequent bottom of the table performance of the school. The fantasy world that Hartsdown Academy exists in can be judged by its comment on this year's disastrous GCSE performance. From the school website at the time of writing: 'Hartsdown Academy Year students have been celebrating success in their GCSEs today, as the school produced yet another year of improved results....Head of KS4, Ms Rigden, said “It has been a fantastic two years working with this group of dedicated and aspirational young people. The Year 11 staff and I are delighted to be able to celebrate with our students after another increase in GCSE results.” Headteacher Matt Tate adds, “This has been a fantastic year for Hartsdown Academy. We are celebrating our best ever year for results at GCSE in Year 11".  To remind Mr Tate, lowest Attainment in the country, and fourth lowest Progress 8!!!!!!!

 There must also be concern amongst the  high number of previously apparently sound schools that have joined the list this year:Thamesview; Archbishops; Fulston Manor; Hayesbrook; Hugh Christie; and St Augustine's.

I am utterly bemused by the appearance of Thamesview, Fulston Manor and St Augustine’s. I wrote an article about The Archbishop’s School earlier this year examining its decline. Boys in Tonbridge have no realistic alternative to Hayesbrook or Hugh Christie, both declining for some years. In 2015 Hayesbrook was the fourth best performing non-selective school in Kent. Last year, I wrote an article about the Brook Learning Trust which looked at the troubles which beset all its three schools, including Hayesbrook and High Weald. I summarised my view of this school as: 'A disaster area by every single measure above'.  Goodwin Academy was run into the ground by the appalling SchoolsCompany Trust, which has now been closed by government, and the school taken over by the Thinking Schools Academy Trust from Medway, so there may be improvement.

Earlier this year government published a list of what it calledCoasting Schools, defined as: 'A coasting School is one which has scored under -0.25 in Progress 8 for three consecutive years', and which attracted government support ,called 'intervention' although this measure has now beenscrapped.  Schools which appear not to have got the message and have gone backwards are: Archbishop's and Hugh Christie; also Homewood which, although not in this table has just been given Requires Improvement, by Ofsted, down from Good. Aylesford; Holmesdale; and The North all appear to have got the message and shown improvement, the last two having been driven by Swale Academies Trust!