Foreword by the Secretary of State for Education and Employment

I am delighted to welcome the publication by the Department for Education and Employment of this year's comparative tables of school and college performance.

These tables cover secondary schools and Further Education sector colleges in England with students in the 16 to 18 age range. They contain a wealth of information - including GCE A/AS level examination results and achievements in specified advanced vocational qualifications.

You will be able to find out more about a particular school or college by asking to see a copy of its prospectus or the information which it publishes locally about its work and achievements. Every entry in the tables includes the address and telephone number of the school or college.

If you are also interested in the performance of secondary schools more generally, you will want to refer to a separate set of tables. These include all secondary schools in England and also cover GCSE examination results and levels of pupil absence.

This year's results are a credit to students and teachers alike. In the 1995 tables you will be able to compare the performance of students in the 16-18 age range at individual schools and colleges in your own area, and to set this in the context of local and national levels of achievement.

I think you will find the tables both interesting and informative.

Rt Hon Gillian Shephard MP
Secretary of State for Education and Employment