HOW TO READ THE TABLES

School / College Particulars

The Tables provide the following details for each institution included in this booklet:

• name, address and telephone number;
• type of school / college;
• if applicable, the school specialism;
• the admissions policy for schools;
• whether the school or college is mainly for girls, boys or both; and
• the main age range of the school or college.

Abbreviations and symbols that appear in this section are explained in the 'Abbreviations and their meanings' section at the back of this booklet.

Background Information

The first column in the Tables shows the number of full time 16-18 year old students on roll at the institution, which gives an indication of the size of the college or school 6th form.

These Tables aim to report the achievements in Level 3 qualifications of 16-18 year old students when they reach the end of their 6th form study. The next two columns therefore show the numbers of 16-18 year olds at the end of 6th form. In order to establish the cohort of students at the end of 6th form we included those students at the end of 2 years of study.

Due to the nature of the Pilot, there are some students whose pattern of study is such that they would not previously have been reported in the main Tables, but their results should be reported in the Pilot Tables - specifically those students taking approved Level 3 qualifications other than A/AS levels and Key Skills at Level 3. The number of students at the end of 6th form is therefore shown on the two different bases: those taking A/AS levels and Key Skills at Level 3 only, as reported in the main Post-16 Tables ('Number of 16-18 year old students at end of A-level study'), and then when equivalences are also included ('Number of 16-18 year old students at end of A-level and equivalent study').

Performance Indicators

The section entitled 'Qualifications achieved by students at the end of A Level / Sixth Form study' is divided into two broad categories: the average point score per student, and the average point score per A Level equivalent.

Each average point score is presented in three ways:

• i)  A/AS/Key Skills only (UCAS points) - shows the points achieved for GCE/VCE A/AS and Key Skills at Level 3 only, as calculated for the main Post-16 AAT exercise using the UCAS tariff
• ii)  A/AS/Key Skills only (QCA points) - shows the points achieved for the same group of qualifications (GCE/VCE A/AS and Key Skills at Level 3 only) using the new QCA point scoring system.
• iii)  A/AS and Equivalences (QCA points) - shows the points achieved for all approved Level 3 qualifications using the new QCA point scoring system.

Comparisons between these figures will enable us to evaluate both the use of the new QCA point scoring system and the impact of equivalences.

For each average points score, the first two columns are both based on the qualifications currently reported in the Post-16 Tables, eg A/AS and Key Skills qualifications only, but they are based on two different scoring systems - the UCAS tariff and the new QCA point scoring system. Comparing these two columns we enable us to see the impact of the new QCA point scoring system.

The second and third columns shown for each average points score are both based on the new QCA point scoring system, but the scope of qualifications included varies. The second column covers A/AS and Key Skills qualifications only, as reported in the main Tables, while the third column includes all approved Level 3 qualifications. This allows us to consider the impact of including all approved Level 3 qualifications in the points scores.

The average point scores contain all qualifications attempted by students at the end of 6th form study. The exception to this is where a qualification is 'discounted' by a larger qualification in the same subject area - for example, a BTEC National Certificate in Mechanical Engineering would be discounted by a BTEC National Diploma in the same subject. Please see the technical annex for further information on the discounting process.

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