Department for children, schools and families

Achievement and attainment tables

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Secondary Schools (KS3) Achievement and Attainment Tables 2007

Ready reckoner

The contextual value added (CVA) ready reckoner is an additional tool which allows you to look at the detailed calculations, and is accessible from this website.

The uncertainty of a CVA score as a measure of school effectiveness can be presented as a Confidence Interval (CI). This is a range of scores within which we can be statistically confident that the 'true' school effectiveness will lie. The size of the CI is determined by the number of pupils in the calculation.

Number of Students in Contextualised Value Added Calculation

Smaller schools have larger confidence intervals since we are estimating the score on a smaller number of results.

Special educational needs (SEN)

The achievement and attainment tables show information about the numbers of pupils in a school with SEN. In recent years, the information has shown the number and percentage of pupils with statements of SEN; and with SEN but without a statement.

We will continue to show information about the two main groups of pupils but will also publish the following:

  • Total pupils with SEN on a school's roll
  • Total pupils with SEN in the cohort being reported on (i.e. the test year group). The information reported for each group of pupils will be split into the following categories:
    • The number (and percentage) with statements or supported at School Action Plus
    • The number (and percentage) supported at School Action.
    • SEN school codes:

School action

The triggers for intervention through school action could be the teacher's or others' concern, underpinned by evidence, about a child who, despite receiving differentiated learning opportunities:

  • makes little or no progress even when teaching approaches are targeted particularly in a pupil's identified area of weakness
  • shows signs of difficulty in developing literacy or mathematics skills which result in poor attainment in some curriculum areas
  • presents persistent emotional or behavioural difficulties which are not ameliorated by the behaviour management techniques usually employed in the school
  • has sensory or physical problems, and continues to make little or no progress despite the provision of specialist equipment
  • has communication and/or interaction difficulties, and continues to make little or no progress despite the provision of a differentiated curriculum.

School action plus

The triggers under school action plus could be that, despite receiving an individualised programme and/or concentrated support under school action, the pupil:

  • continues to make little or no progress in specific areas over a long period
  • continues working at National Curriculum levels substantially below that expected of pupils of a similar age
  • continues to have difficulty in developing literacy and mathematics skills
  • has emotional or behavioural difficulties which substantially and regularly interfere with their own learning or that of the class group, despite having an individualised behaviour management programme
  • has sensory or physical needs, and requires additional specialist equipment or regular advice or visits by a specialist service
  • has ongoing communication or interaction difficulties that impede the development of social relationships and cause substantial barriers to learning.

The National Curriculum

Pupils aged 5 to 16 in state schools must be taught the National Curriculum. This is divided into four 'Key Stages' that generally depend on children's ages.

Year Group Reception 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11
Age of students at
end of year
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Key Stage FOUNDATION STAGE KEY STAGE 1 KEY STAGE 2 KEY STAGE 3 KEY STAGE 4

During Key Stage 3 pupils must be taught the following subjects: English, mathematics, science, history, geography, design and technology, information and communication technology, modern foreign languages, art and design, music, physical education and citizenship. Pupils must also study religious education.

Levels of achievement

The National Curriculum sets standards of achievement in each subject for pupils aged 5 to 14. For most subjects, these standards range from Levels 1 through to 8. Pupils progress through the levels as they get older and learn more:

  • most 7 year olds are expected to achieve Level 2
  • most 11 year olds are expected to achieve Level 4
  • most 14 year olds are expected to achieve Levels 5 or 6.

Teacher assessments

Throughout the year, all teachers assess their pupils' progress in each subject as a normal part of their teaching.

The teacher decides which level best describes a pupil's performance in each area of learning in that subject. They must report their assessments in English, mathematics and science when pupils reach the end of each key stage.

Teacher assessments are not reported in the Secondary School (Key Stage 3) achievement and attainment tables.

Tests

National tests, taken at the end of each key stage, give a snapshot of a pupil's attainment in the core subjects. At the end of KS3, pupils are tested in English, mathematics and science.

These end of key stage tests give an independent and nationally standardised measure of how pupils and schools are doing compared with national standards in the core subjects.

Using the following table you can compare your child's test result against the expected level for his or her age group.

  7 years 11 years 14 years
Level 8 *    
Level 7      
Level 6      
Level 5      
Level 4      
Level 3      
Level 2a, 2b, 2c      
Level 1      

 

         Exceptional
         Beyond expectations
         At level expected
         Below expectations

PLEASE NOTE:

KS3 pupils can gain Level 8 in mathematics only. Level 7 is the highest available in the KS3 English and science tests.