It takes into account 51 different data points - including not just GCSE results and Attainment 8 scores but also factors like Progress 8, pupil-teacher ratios and absence rates.

It is published as a print product but parents can also go online to browse the full data, compare different schools, and find links to contact details and recent Ofsted reports.

The Guide, now in its eighth year, has been praised by ministers and education experts alike. Former schools minister David Laws called it 'public-service journalism in the best tradition'.

This year's results put Brooke Weston Academy in second place and another Trust secondary, Corby Technical School, in sixth place.

The Real Schools Guide said: ‘Our unique rating system uses 50 different measures, put together from the latest publicly-available data and broken into four categories - attainment, progress, attendance, and outcomes.

National league tables may only look at overall GCSE results, as well as newer measures such as Attainment 8 and Progress 8, which may mean schools that help all pupils make progress, but only get slightly better than average exam scores overall, may be overlooked.

Our system aims to move beyond more limited measurements and give parents a better idea of which schools will help their child prosper, no matter what their background may be.

The guide factors in other things as well - like whether all pupils are making progress, what attendance is like, the ratio of teachers to pupils, and whether students go on to further education or jobs.

Read more here.