Understanding Education Data –

Basics of school accountability

Scott Walker - Regional Adviser – Academy Ambassadors

(slide deck based on DfE published slides)

Assessment of pupils across their education

Early Years Foundation Stage Profile (age 5) (*)

Phonics Screening Check (age 6 / 7) (*)

National Curriculum Assessments – Key Stage 1 (age 7) (*)

National Curriculum Assessment – Key Stage 2 (age 11)

Key Stage 4 - GCSE and equivalents (age 16)

Key Stage 5 - A-level and equivalents (age 18)

Those shown with a (*) are internal assessed and not published at a school level

Key Stage 2 SATs (Age 11- end of Y6)

Pupils sit formal tests in reading; spelling, grammar and punctuation and

mathematics. Writing is teacher assessed.

Schools are judged on the percentage of pupils achieving a score of 100 or more

on the tests. There is also a ‘high score’ for thesesubjects.

For writing schools are judged on the percentage getting a teacher assessment

of the expected standard or the higher ‘greater depth’standard.

Schools are judged on the percentage of pupils getting the expected standard in

all three of reading, writing and maths and a value added progress measure in

each subject area.

Results are used as the basis for judging secondary school performance.

Sample Primary School (1)

Sample Primary School (2)

Secondary Headline Measures

The headline measures appearing in the performance tables from 2017 are:

Progress 8

Attainment 8

The percentage of students achieving the threshold in English and mathematics - Grade 5 for

2017

The percentage of students entering the English Baccalaureate (EBacc)

The percentage of students achieving the EBacc

The percentage of students staying in education or employment after Key Stage (KS) 4

Former accountability measures are no longer be used, such as the 5 A*-C grade GCSEs

including English and maths measure.

New GCSE Gradings

Grade 4 – broadly the equivalent of the bottom

two thirds of a current grade C – will be known

as a “standard pass”. This is the minimum

level that students need to reach in English

and maths: otherwise they will need to

continue to study these subjects as part of

their post-16 education. There is no re-take

requirement for other subjects.

The Department will recognise a GCSE Grade

5 or above as a “strong pass”. This increasing

expectation reflect our ambition to raise

standards in schools. This is in line with the

expectations of top performing education

systems around the world.

New GCSE Gradings

Grade 4 – broadly the equivalent of the bottom

two thirds of a current grade C – will be known

as a “standard pass”. This is the minimum

level that students need to reach in English

and maths: otherwise they will need to

continue to study these subjects as part of

their post-16 education. There is no re-take

requirement for other subjects.

The Department will recognise a GCSE Grade

5 or above as a “strong pass”. This increasing

expectation reflect our ambition to raise

standards in schools. This is in line with the

expectations of top performing education

systems around the world.

Attainment 8, estimated Attainment 8 and Progress 8

A pupil’s Progress 8 score is defined by the DfE as being their actualAttainment

8 Score minus the estimated Attainment 8 score (based on KS2 levels)

The estimated Attainment 8 score comes from an average of a pupil’s KS2

Reading Level and Maths Level.

The department sets its expectation for all pupils across all grades each year

based upon national results. Outcomes published end of September / early

October.

3 4 5

Science (1, 2 or3)MFL (1 or2)Geography

HistoryComputerScience

Ebacc Group

6 7 8

R.E.P.E.Art

Drama Music

Product DesignFood &NutritionICTGCSE/CNAT

BTEC Dance BTEC Sport

BTECHospitalityAny other eligible

qualification or not counted in previouscategory

Open Group

1 2

English or

English Literature

Maths

CORE

Double Weighted

Attainment 8 Structure

Progress 8

Why measure progress?

What is Progress 8?

Progress 8 aims to capture the progress a pupil makes from the end of primary

school to the end of secondary school.

Value added measure - pupils’ results are compared to achievements of other

pupils with the same prior attainment.

Designed to encourage schools to offer a broad and balanced curriculum with a

focus on an academic core at key stage 4, and reward schools for the teaching of

all their pupils, measuring performance across 8 qualifications.

Progress 8 is calculated for individual pupils in order to calculate a school’s

Progress 8 score - no need for schools to share with their pupils.

Schools should continue to focus on which qualifications are most suitable for

individual pupils, as the grades pupils achieve will help them reach their goals

for the next stage of their education or training.

I really don’t understand ?!?!

Lets do an example...

Emma achieved the following grades in 2018

Emma estimated A8 score based on prior attainment was59

(KS2=5.0)

Maths – 7

English Lang – 8

English Lit – 6

Biology – 7

Physics – 6

Art – 3

Spanish – 6

RE – 3

History - 7

COREDouble these

7+7=148+8=16

767

663

Ebacc

Open

Attainment 14+16+7+6+7+6+6+3=65

Progress

65-59=6

Across 10 subjects so divide by 10 = 0.6

Emma’s P8= +0.6

This means Emma achieved an average of just over half a grade better, per subject, than other pupils with the same prior attainment

Alan achieved the following grades in 2018

Alan’s estimated A8 score based on prior attainment was 46

Maths – 3

English Lang – 4

Comb Sci – 5 – 5

Computer Sc – 4

BTEC 1st Hospitality – Dist = 7

BTEC 1st Sport – Merit = 5.5

Camb Nat Cert Bus & Ent – Pass=4

Pearson BTEC Cert H&Sc – Pass = 1.75

CORE(only Maths is doubled)

Ebacc

Open

3+3=64+0=4

5+5475.54

Attainment 3+3+4+0+5+5+4+7+5.5+4=40.5

Progress40.5-46= -5.5

Across 10 subjects so divide by 10 = -0.55

Alan’s P8= -0.55

This means Alan achieved an average of just over half a grade worse, per subject, than other pupils with the same prior attainment

School Level Figures

A school’s Progress 8 score is calculated as the average of its pupils’ Progress 8 scores. It gives

an indication of whether, pupils in the school made above or below average progress compared to

similar pupils in other schools.

A score of zero means pupils in this school on average do about as well at key stage 4 as

other pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

A score below zero means pupils made less progress, on average, than pupils across

England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2. Progress 8 score of below -0.5

indicates the school’s average achievement is half a GCSE grade below the national average

of other pupils with the same expected progress.

A score above zero means pupils made more progress, on average, than pupils

across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

A negative progress score does not mean pupils made no progress or school failure. It

means pupils have made less progress than other pupils across England with similar results at

KS2.

Want more detail??

More detail including worked examples can be found at

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachmen

t_data/file/748497/Secondary_accountability_measures_guidance__-_October_2018.pdf

What is the English Baccalaureate (EBacc)?

Designed to ensure focus on curriculum breadth, the EBacc is a school level

measure that comprises the core academic subjects that the vast majority of

young people should have the opportunity to study to age 16.

To enter the EBacc, pupils must take up to eight GCSEs across five subject

‘pillars’.

In 2018 –

35.1% entered (i.e. entered GCSE’s in the qualifying subjects).

23.7% achieved the EBacc

DfE aspiration that 75% of year 10 pupils in state-funded mainstream schools will

start to study GCSEs in the EBacc combination of subjects by September 2022.

By 2025, the aspiration rises to 90% of year 10 pupils studying GCSEs in the

EBacc subjects by 2025.

Questions?