THE head of a leading independent school in East Lancashire today welcomed support for a private-sector boycott of this year's A-level and GCSE league tables.

Eton and several other 'top people's' schools have said they are unhappy with the way the tables are prepared and want to opt out.

And the head of Stonyhurst College, near Clitheroe, Adrian Aylward, said: "We are considering not publishing the tables to the public, although they will be published to parents.

Speaking at the college's annual prize giving last month, Mr Aylward said opting out of the "media driven league table feast" would give the school a "better perspective."

And today he added: "I do not believe in this obsession with tables. We want to see each individual uniquely valued.

"I believe we should fight the process and I have total sympathy with the actions some schools may take."

The moves towards a boycott came at a meeting of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, which represents independent schools across the UK.

Member schools said that they were in favour of the ultimate abolition of the tables. And they may hold back grades this year.

The headmaster at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School in Blackburn, Dr David Hempsall, said: "As a member of the Conference, the school is aware of the concern of some members with the early publication of results for the purposes of compiling 'league tables'.

"We feel parents and others who may be interested in league tables may set greater store by tables published once all omissions, appeals and re-marks have been completed.

"That said, QEGS has not suffered greatly through the current practice and we shall be publishing our results as normal this August."

Lillian Croston, principal of Westholme School, Blackburn, said: "We always publish our examination results as we are proud of them. Nonetheless, I am not in favour of league tables because they show only one element of a school's success.

"Good schools are about developing the whole person and equipping tomorrow's citizens with wide-ranging skills -- personal, social, cultural, practical and physical, not just academic.

"The whole system of league tables needs a complete review if it is to have any meaning whatsoever."

Last year, nine East Lancashire state school headteachers wrote to the Lancashire Evening Telegraph complaining that the Government's performance tables gave a superficial picture only, and failed to take into account the school's pupil intake.