It is often said that the friends you make at school are friends for life. Today (Monday November 15th), thanks to the phenomenal popularity of the website Friends Reunited, the secondary schools whose ex-pupils stay in touch the most can be revealed for the first time.
By analysing the number of messages sent between its 11 million-plus active members, registered across the 22,000 secondary schools listed, the website has made public a league table of the top 200 schools with the friendliest past-pupils. The tables have been formulated by analysing the total number of contact emails sent by the ex-pupils of each school as a proportion of those registered, giving a comparable 'friendliness' rating regardless of the size of school.
Steve Pankhurst, Friends Reunited co-founder, said: "These league tables are a testament to the ability of schools, of all kinds, to forge life-long friendships."
A South London comprehensive, Elliott School in Putney, is top of the 2004 School Friendship League Tables with Wakefield Girls High School in Yorkshire in second place, followed by the Ramsgate School in Kent .
Nationally, the Class of 1963, who would be around 58 years old now, has been revealed as the year group that keeps in touch the most. The Class of '73 is second and the remaining top 10 year groups are all in the 1960s suggesting it was the friendliest decade.
Started in the year 2000 to help old school friends get back in touch, Friends Reunited website has been visited by more than half the adult internet population of Britain . Alumni from every school in Britain have used the service, as well as those from many schools that have closed.
Commenting on the results, Pankhurst said: "There appear to be a host of reasons why some schools engender such long-term friendships, but a recurring theme from the past-students of those schools is the quality, consistency and dedication of the teaching staff."
"They say that the friends you make at school often stay friends for life and the extraordinary success of Friends Reunited over the past four years would seem to bear that out. It's fascinating to see that, overall, most of the keenest users of Friends Reunited are in their fifties, at least."
Top of the Friendship Tables, Elliott School is a mixed comprehensive with over 1300 students and 85 teaching staff. Originally established in 1904, it was founded as a comprehensive in 1956, and has established a reputation for its commitment to the comprehensive ideal. Friends Reunited's data shows that Elliott's Class of '65 keeps in touch the most, followed by 1962, 61 and 97. Well-known almumni include the James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan.
Tony Willis, headmaster of Elliott School , said: "This is fantastic news and will confirm with staff, students, parents and the wider community both past and present that the positive ethos we work hard at maintaining lives on with anyone that has a connection with Elliott school long after they have ceased that direct contact."
Wakefield Girls' High School, in second place, and Queen Elizabeth Grammar School , in fifth, are brother and sister schools, together forming Wakefield Grammar School Foundation. Wakefield Girls' was attended by 'Bridget Jones' author Helen Fielding and the writer of 'Chocolat', Joanne Harris.
Pat Langham, Wakefield Girls' headmistress, said: "Our school motto begins with "Each for All" and we are a very happy school with a family atmosphere and a strong sense of community. We encourage the girls to look after each other."
Sadly, The Ramsgate School in Kent , third in the table, has been in serious difficulties in recent years. It only narrowly avoided closure last year, having been declared a failing school and is soon to become the first Academy School in Kent .
Friends Reunited can be found at www.friendsreunited.co.uk
For case studies or to receive more information about Friends Reunited and the School Friendship League Tables please contact Carolynne Bull-Edwards or Victoria Reed on: 01883 717468/ 07932 723866 or email press@friendsreunited.co.uk
Friends Reunited was launched in October 2000 by North London based husband and wife team Julie and Steve Pankhurst so that people could get in contact with their old school friends. A combination of word of mouth and immense media attention has propelled the site to phenomenon status, expanding beyond the school friends proposition to include workplaces, teams/clubs and streets. The site has over 11 million members, representing 42% of the adult internet population in the UK .
The School Friendship League Tables have been formulated by analysing data from the Friends Reunited website to give each school a 'friendliness' rating. This is determined by the average number of emails sent by each ex-pupil to their classmates and the average number of pupils who send messages. Friends Reunited has looked only at the number of messages sent, not at the contents, which remain confidential. Only people who actively use the site to correspond with other members are taken into account. Visits by those who are 'just looking' to see who from their school is registered are not included.