The publication today of the school league tables showing the results for the previous school year, creates mixed feelings in schools. You would expect that those who are near the top would be happy with their position. Parents who send their children to such schools would feel confident that they would do well.

In practical terms, this may not be the case. A league table of results does not show how much your child will achieve at that school.

If your local school is not near the top of the league, it does not mean that your child will not achieve all that they should.

The whole issue of how well a school will do for your child is much more complicated than this.

League tables do not show the ability of the pupils in that year group when they entered the school.

The tables do not show the difficulties that young people are experiencing in their lives - and this is a major issue in achievement.

They do not show the amount of time and practical support the parents of a school can give, and they do not show the number of pupils with some special needs or those with behavioural difficulties.

The tables do try to show figures for social factors, such as free school meals. However, in a town such as Darlington, with the lowest level of unemployment in the Tees Valley and yet one of the lowest levels of income per head, it is not possible to replicate such similar conditions in another area of the country in order to make a comparison possible.

Should schools be judged by the exam results?

The answer has to be yes, but a league table is not the way to present this to parents, because in a single table you cannot include the complexities of the situation.

Schools themselves can show if they have been able to fulfil the potential of a child, which is what really matters to parents. It is impossible to show this in a league table.

There are other factors that parents take into consideration when choosing a school: such as, is the school standing still in terms of the number of students attending this school. This gives you an indication of the confidence that the local community has in the school.

Eastbourne is recognised as an improved and improving school and has just been accepted as a pilot school for a DFEE project for Raising Attainment. Eastbourne will be in the very advantageous position of being able to access assistance from resources and expertise around the country to further lift the already improving results.

Unfortunately, Darlington does not qualify for Excellence In Cities or Education Action Zone funding that our neighbours in the Tees Valley receive.

These projects are designed to help schools combat the differences in their circumstance which are not revealed by the tables published today.

We have many of the issues to deal with that affect performance but, until this point, no school in the town has received help of this nature to meet the Government's targets.