FURY erupted today over the very first publication of primary school league tables as head teachers branded them "rubbish, meaningless and unfair."

East Lancashire heads have slammed the controversial tables and say they reflect nothing about a school.

Even schools that did well were quick to condemn them today.

Governors at Shadsworth Junior School, Blackburn, refused to send their test results for inclusion.

Head Frank Shuttleworth, who is also Lancashire Secretary for the National Union of Teachers, said: "We simply don't agree with the league tables - in short, they're rubbish.

"You don't need tables to tell you schools in socially deprived areas will not do as well as those in better off areas.

"The secretary of state said she would not publish tables until 1998 when tests had been given time to 'bed down' and a month later changed her mind. Because of her hypocrisy the governors, with my backing, decided to refuse to give out information. "Our recent Ofsted inspection said that by the time children finished school here they were achieving standards at a national level, yet we are in the lower half of the league tables. Where is the fairness in that?

"The publication of tables is also putting enormous and unnecessary pressures on teachers."

Spring Hill Primary School, Accrington, and Hargher Clough Junior School, Burnley, finished mid-way in the table.

Spring Hill head Ron Hayden said: "What the tables do not take into account is what is known as 'value added.' For example, 80 per cent of our pupils do not speak English when they come here but do by the time they leave.

"That is not measured in the tables. If it was they would be meaningful, as it is they are meaningless.

"I know parents are very happy with the education their children receive here. We did not want to take part in the league tables, they are extremely unfair."

St Michael and St John Primary, Clitheroe, and Simonstone C of E, Simonstone, were among the top ranking East Lancashire schools. St Michael and St John head Vincent Murray said: "We are delighted that the hard work of staff and children has been recognised, but we cannot get complacent.

"I am fully aware of the wide opposition to these tables and have every sympathy with head teachers in other areas where such things as social deprivation are not taken into account.

"It's very rewarding to be reflected in the league tables this way but it must be kept in perspective."

Simonstone head Howard Brindle echoed the comments and said: "I'm extremely pleased at our position in the table.

"However, I do not agree with the league tables. They fail to take a wide range of issues into account and are an extremely crude way of assessing a school."

St Patrick's RC School, Preston, topped the Lancashire league table.

But there was some good news - overall test results by Lancashire pupils in English, maths and science were all above national averages.

The tables cover 600,000 11-year-old pupils in 14,500 schools across the country and are based on 3.6 million test results and teacher assessments.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.