Choosing the Best Independent School for Your Child

Looking beyond the headline results

When comparing schools, it is easy to focus on impressive grades, average results or high-profile university destinations. These figures can tell us a lot about attainment, but they don't necessarily tell us the whole story.

A pupil who achieves a string of A* grades has clearly achieved something exceptional. But what if another pupil joins a school with a very different starting point and goes on to achieve significantly more than was expected of them? That progress matters too.
This is where Value Added (VA) can provide useful additional context.

What is Value Added?

Value Added is a way of measuring the progress pupils make from their starting point to their final results.
At Tranby, we use the CEM assessment system to help forecast outcomes at key stages including Year 7, Year 10 and Year 12. These forecasts provide an indication of the results a pupil might be expected to achieve based on their prior attainment. We can then compare predicted outcomes with actual results.
For example, if a pupil's prior attainment suggests they are likely to achieve a B, but they go on to achieve an A, that represents stronger progress than expected.
Across a whole cohort, this provides a useful picture of the progress pupils are making beyond simply looking at their final grades.
Put simply: attainment tells you where a pupil finished. Value Added helps to tell you how far they travelled.

why does this matter?

Of course, academic results matter. Families rightly want to know that their children are being challenged, supported and prepared to achieve highly. But a school's results should always be considered in the context of its pupils' starting points.
At Tranby, we are proud of the excellent grades our pupils achieve, but we are equally proud of the progress they make along the way.
For example, in 2024, more than 20% of our GCSE pupils achieved more than one grade higher than expected in every subject they studied.

That is a powerful indication of what can happen when pupils are known as individuals, their strengths are understood and they are supported to aim higher.

what does this look like at tranby?

At Tranby, we believe that every pupil should be encouraged to make the most of their individual potential.
That means challenging pupils who are already achieving highly, while providing the support, encouragement and confidence needed to help every child progress from their own starting point.
Our all-through approach allows us to know our pupils exceptionally well and to support their development from the early years through Prep, Senior School and Sixth Form.
From the moment children join us, we aim to develop not only their academic knowledge, but their curiosity, confidence, independence and love of learning. Because progress isn't just about a grade. It is about a child discovering that they can do something they once thought was beyond them.
It is about the pupil who gains the confidence to contribute in class, the child who discovers a passion for a subject they never expected to enjoy, the young person who finds their talent on the sports field or stage, and the Sixth Form student who leaves Tranby with the skills and ambition to pursue the future they want.

Why starting early makes a difference

One of the misconceptions about independent education is that families only need to consider it from Senior School onwards.
In reality, the most important foundations for future success are laid much earlier.
At Tranby, our pupils begin developing a love of learning from Preschool onwards. Smaller classes allow teachers to know children as individuals, respond to their learning needs and build confidence, curiosity and communication skills from an early age.
The aim isn't simply to prepare children for the next stage of school. It is to help them become confident, capable and enthusiastic learners who are ready to embrace whatever comes next.