The real test will come when prices stray outside the band, as they have threatened to in recent days.

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Banding involves an admissions test, with results divided into ability bands - the school then accepts a percentage of pupils from each band, resulting in a mixed-ability intake.

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But with a value added measure of 101.1 it is in band B - showing that it is above average in bringing on the children from their earlier test results.

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Singles such as Teenage Kicks, Jimmy Jimmy and My Perfect Cousin soared up the charts and the band made numerous appearances on shows such as Top Of The Pops and The Old Grey Whistle Test.

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This fact of life is used to justify banding, a system in which the test scores are segmented into a few bands, and you are then entitled to treat everyone within a particular band as essentially equal-and to hire randomly within the band.

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