[Angostura]

I'm sorry - that doesn't sound like an inherent problem with the standard assessment system, it sounds like a failure in the school leadership team to inculcate a drive for excellence. At the end of Key stage 2 at primary school, you should have been entered for Level 6 tests in addition to the normal papers which max out at grade 5.

I'm surprised if your secondary school was examined by Ofsted, and found to be faultless - they are normally very hot on schools being able to engage talented and gifted. Although, as an independent, was it inspected?

[electromagnetic]

Yes it was inspected, but funnily enough (thinking back over a decade here) I can't think of anyone being engaged to get them into anything to keep them advancing.

I think it could have gotten anomalously high because the next time it got tested it dropped drastically, although there was an exodus of the better teachers.

The whole thing had a startup getting its IPO feel. Once it got that report it took maybe two years for the best teachers to be gone and moved on to being department heads elsewhere.