THE headteacher of the best independent school in the UK at GCSE level has defended league tables as a means of making them accountable.

For the first time, girls’ school Headington School, in Oxford, came top of the table, which is ranked on the average points scores accrued by pupils. However, several schools, including Eton, Winchester and St Paul’s, refused to supply their results to the Independent Schools Council, claiming such tables don’t give the full picture of a school.

Last night, headteacher Anne Coutts said: “We are always in the top 40 or 50, but we have never been in the top four or five before.

“League tables cannot take account of every aspect of a school’s achievements, but as a scientist I believe it is important achievements should be measured. As a school, we should be accountable and I am always happy for our exam results to be published.” Headington School’s table-topping score was an average of 618.4 points — the equivalent of just over 10 A* grades per pupil — with 41.6 per cent of all exams graded A* and 82 per cent A or A*.

Mrs Coutts said: “Parents are intelligent, they know the limitations of league tables and, while I know they are flawed, we must have a way of measuring achievement. We cannot say that we are doing what we should be when we educate people if we cannot measure the outcome.”

Pupil Rosie Rust, 16, from Beckley, who gained 10 A*s and an A, said: “I feel really proud and privileged because our whole year group has achieved this together.

“League tables help pupils know all their hard work has paid off and it adds to the sense of achievement.

“I think Headington is definitely the best school in the country.”

Gaby Hill, 16, from Aston Rowant, who achieved two A*, seven As and three Bs, said: “If you say you go to Headington, people recognise the school and the kind of background and education you have got and I think it is also really good for parents.”

Mrs Coutts put the school’s achievement down to “really excellent teaching”, a new mentoring scheme to help struggling students, and regular monitoring of girls’ progress.

She said: “All these things have been helping us steadily raise our game without becoming narrowly selective, and we continue to take girls from a reasonably wide range of ability.”

Fees at the school cost about £7,000 per term for full boarding places.

Oxford High School came eighth in the table and Magdalen College School 17th.

fbardsley@oxfordmail.co.uk