Further details on the National Curriculum tests can be found in the More Information section.
The results
This part of the Tables shows:
- the number of pupils who were at the end of KS2 and, therefore, eligible to take the tests in May 2006. All pupils - including those with special educational needs (SEN) - are eligible for assessment under the National Curriculum when they reach the end of KS2. Most pupils will be aged 11 by the end of the school year, but some may be older or younger;
- the mobility indicator;
- the number and percentage of eligible pupils (a) with statements of special educational needs (SEN) or with SEN supported at School Action Plus; and (b) with SEN supported at School Action as at May 2006;
- the percentage of eligible pupils in each subject who achieved Level 4 or above in the English, mathematics and science tests;
- the percentage of eligible pupils in each subject who achieved Level 5 in the English, mathematics and science tests; and
- the average point score (APS).
The mobility indicator
The mobility indicator is based on pupils' dates of entry to the school.
Where schools have recently merged or opened, pupils' dates of entry are set to the school's date of opening or later. In these cases, the mobility indicator may appear to be low.
The mobility column shows the percentage of pupils eligible for KS2 assessment who were in the school for the whole of their KS2 education (Year 3 - Year 6 inclusive). A relatively low mobility percentage means that a high proportion of the pupils eligible for the KS2 tests were not in the school for the whole of their KS2 education. A school's performance may have been affected where the school has a low mobility percentage.
Calculation of a school's mobility indicator
If a school had 20 pupils who are eligible for the KS2 tests in 2006, and 6 of those pupils had been in the school for less than 4 years, the mobility indicator would be:
(14/20) X 100 = 70%
Eligible pupils with special educational needs (SEN)
The Tables show how many of the pupils eligible for KS2 assessment had SEN. Some of these pupils may not have taken the tests - because they were working below the level assessed by the tests, or because they were working at the level of the tests but unable to access them. This will affect the school's overall results.
Level 4 or above at KS2
The Tables show the percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 or above in the KS2 tests for English, mathematics and science. Level 4 is the level expected of most 11 year olds. This percentage is based on all eligible pupils, including those who were absent at the time of the tests or working at the level of the tests but unable to access them and, therefore, did not achieve a result. We include all eligible pupils in our calculations to ensure that the Tables give more comprehensive information about school performance.
Level 5 at KS2
The Tables also show the percentage of pupils achieving Level 5 in the KS2 tests for English, mathematics and science. Level 5 means pupils are achieving beyond the expected level. This percentage is based on all eligible pupils, including those who were absent at the time of the tests or working at the level of the tests but unable to access them and, therefore, did not achieve a result. We include all eligible pupils in our calculations to ensure that the Tables give more comprehensive information about school performance.
What schools' attainment measures tell you
| National Curriculum tests measure pupils' attainment against the levels set by the National Curriculum. They measure the extent to which pupils have the specific knowledge, skills and understanding which the National Curriculum expects pupils to have mastered by the end of Key Stage 2. The National Curriculum tests do not measure a pupil's general ability in each of the subject areas. Measures of attainment, such as the proportion reaching Level 4 or above; the proportion reaching Level 5; and the average point score show the actual results achieved by the cohort of pupils who took their KS2 tests in 2006, i.e. the standards reached in the tests. However, schools' KS2 results are largely affected by the prior attainment of their pupils (how well they did at KS1). To compare the effectiveness of two or more primary schools, it is best to look at their value added measures, which adjust for differences in prior attainment. If you do wish to compare schools' KS2 results, bear in mind that small differences between school results are unlikely to be significant, particularly if the school's year group is small. |
Percentage of pupils absent or working at the level of the tests but unable to access them
Some pupils were absent from school at the time the tests were taken in May 2006 (perhaps due to illness) and did not achieve a test level.
A very small number of pupils may be unable to access some, or all, of the tests, even with special arrangements. These pupils are assessed as working at the level of the tests but unable to access them. This can happen if all, or part, of a test is not suitable for a pupil with particular special educational needs, though the tests are designed to cater for most pupils with special educational needs.
Each school's results at Level 4 or above and Level 5 are based on the results of all pupils at the end of KS2, including those who were absent on the day of the test or working at the level of the tests but unable to access them. Because those pupils are included in the calculations but did not achieve a test level, they may disproportionately affect a school's results. To help you take this into account, the percentage of eligible pupils who were absent at the time of the tests or working at the level of the tests but unable to access them is shown alongside the percentage achieving Level 4 or above and Level 5. The higher the percentage of those pupils, the more a school's results may have been affected by pupils with no test results.
Adjustments to the number of eligible pupils
The results of some schools have been adjusted. Some schools requested that pupils recently admitted from overseas with little, or no, English be discounted from the figures. This is allowed where the pupil was admitted for the first time to an English school in the 2004/2005 or 2005/2006 school year from outside the United Kingdom, and their first language is not English. The Government accepts that these pupils are unlikely to be able to show what they can do in the tests until they have improved their English language skills and are more familiar with the school curriculum in this country.
The APS for a school provides a fuller picture of the KS2 achievements of pupils of all abilities. Two schools with similar percentages of pupils achieving Level 4 and above may have different APSs. The APS values the achievements of pupils below the Level 4 threshold, by taking account of whether pupils attain Level 3 or not.
The APS is calculated by using the following formula:
(Total points for English + Total points for maths + Total points for science) / (Total number of eligible pupils for each subject) = APS
The total points for each subject are calculated by awarding each pupil a number of points, according to the table below, and then adding the total points together. This gives you the total points for a subject.
The APS calculation does not include those pupils that were absent at the time of the tests or working at the level of the tests but unable to access them.
See the following table for the points awarded per subject per pupil.
| KS2 Test Level | Point score equivalent |
| Working at the level of the tests but unable to access them | Disregarded from calculation |
| Absent | Disregarded from calculation |
| Working below the level of the test | 15 |
| Not awarded a test level | 15 |
| 2 | 15 |
| 3 | 21 |
| 4 | 27 |
| 5 | 33 |