| OTHER VALUE ADDED DEVELOPMENTS |
| QCA consultation: value added in school performance tables |
| Earlier this year, on behalf of the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, QCA consulted 10% of schools, together with Local Education Authorities and teacher associations, using a consultation document and postal questionnaire. The main issues consulted on were:
between which stages of education should value added measures be calculated;
what should be measured at each stage;
how school value added measures should be calculated;
how school value added measures should be presented in performance tables. |
| The detailed responses to the QCA consultation have influenced the design of the pilot and will be further considered in moving towards the introduction of full value added measures in the school performance tables. QCA made a number of recommendations which are being considered by the Secretary of State. |
| Value added for school improvement |
| QCA and DfEE have been working to produce a national system of value added which allows schools to compare the progress their own pupils have made between two stages of their education with the average progress made by a representative sample of pupils. The analyses cover Key Stages 1-2, 2-3 and 3-GCSE/GNVQ. The Key Stage 3 - GCSE/GNVQ analysis used the performance data from the volunteer schools in the 1998 Value Added pilot.
| Schools have been sent these national value added measures for the first time this year, as part of the joint DfEE, QCA and OFSTED "Autumn Package" of pupil performance information. The Package also includes summaries of pupils' performance in National Curriculum assessments and public examinations, along with national benchmark information. Headteachers and school governors will be able to use this information to evaluate how well the school and individual pupils have performed, identify where improvement is needed, and set realistic but challenging targets.
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