...are a load of crap! The closest school to my home, Brinsworth Whitehill has been the highest rated school in terms of league tables consistently for quite a long time now so when my children got to school age it was the obvious choice. Several years in and we found ourselves with two very unhappy children, both having problems with bullies.
None of the school staff (well, except for the receptionist) wanted to help them, instead they blamed them for being victims! Each time we got more and more frustrated by the lack of will or competency to deal with any issues. We went through all the proper channels to try to resolve the problems and each time we where assured they would deal with it. It was just hot air. In fact, in one meeting with the head teacher she admitted how she saw parents as interfering annoyances! We went to one of the governors and where told that if they where us, they would move the kids to another school as nothing will be done about it 
It got to the point where my son was beaten up in school, then told off by the teacher and told it was all his fault. I phoned the school and was promised the head teacher would call me back immediately... I'm still waiting for that call...
It was the last straw and we took both children out of school and transfered them to another local school Brinsworth Howarth (the school I went to as a child), who rate amongst one of the worst so far as league tables go.
In the past year or so that they have been there they are both different children, happier, both doing far better in their school work. Yes there are still bullies there, but the school deals with issues and (more importantly) does not try to blame the victim.
They have helped us to start to mend the damage Whitehill caused to their self confidence, they have provided support and aid to my son in his SAT's and they have even gone as far as to ensure that when my son goes to comprehensive school next year, that he will not be in the same class as the children from Whitehill school that caused him all the problems!
Thats the sort of things that a league table doesn't tell you!!!
