HOW TO READ THE TABLES

School particulars

The tables provide the following details for each school included: name, address and telephone number; type of school; specialist indicator (if applicable); admissions policy; and the age range. Abbreviations and symbols that appear in this section are explained on the 'Abbreviations and their meanings' page.

Cohort information for pupils aged 15 at the start of the school year

This part of the tables replicates the information shown in the main 2003 secondary (GCSE) performance tables. It shows for each school in the pilot:

• the total number of pupils aged 15 on roll at the school in January 2003 (i.e. in their final year of compulsory schooling). This includes those pupils who did not take any qualifications at this age;
• the number and percentage of pupils aged 15 with statements of special educational needs (SEN); and
• the number and percentage of 15 year old pupils with SEN without statements.

KS2 to age 15 value added measures

The value added measures are based on comparing the GCSE or equivalent performance with the median - or middle - GCSE or equivalent performance of other pupils with the same or similar prior attainment at KS2. The individual pupils' scores are aggregated to give a score for the school.

This pilot is being used to test three different ways of presenting schools' value added scores. Figures in the top left corner show the value added information for each presentation. The figure in the bottom right hand corner is the value added measure, based on the existing points score, as published in the KS2 to GCSE value added pilot tables.

Information about how to interpret each of the three presentations is given below. Further information about how these indicators have been calculated can be found in the technical annex.

The final two columns show:

• a coverage indicator showing the percentage of 15 year old pupils that are included in the value added calculation; and
• the average number of GCSE and equivalents taken by pupils in the value added calculation.

Again, the figures in the top left hand corners relate to the revised value added indicators and the figures in the bottom right hand corners relate to the figures published in the KS2 to GCSE value added pilot tables.

Presentation 1

The first method of presentation of the value added scores is as a measure centred around 1000. This is similar to the measure currently used in performance tables - centred around 100 - but in order to accommodate the point score system developed by QCA, and avoid the publication of negative scores which might be misinterpreted as meaning negative progress, the measure is instead centred around 1000.

Scores above 1000 represent schools where pupils, on average, made more progress than similar pupils nationally, while scores below 1000 represent schools where pupils made less progress.

A score of 1001 means that, on average, each of the school's pupils achieved one extra point at age 15 than the median for pupils with similar KS2 or KS3 attainment. Conversely, a score of 999 means that the school's pupils achieved one fewer point at age 15. A score of 1006 means that, on average, each of the school's pupils achieved one grade higher in one GCSE than the median for pupils with similar KS2 or KS3 attainment, while a score of 994 means than, on average, each of the school's pupils achieved one grade lower in one GCSE than the median for pupils with similar KS2 or KS3 attainment.

Presentation 2

The second presentation of the value added score is as a measure centred around the national average capped point-score. This year the national average capped point score is 281.2.

Scores above 281.2 represent schools where pupils, on average, made more progress than similar pupils nationally, while scores below 281.2 represent schools where pupils made less progress.

A score of 282.2 means that, on average, each of the school's pupils achieved one extra point at age 15 than the median for pupils with similar KS2 or KS3 attainment respectively. Conversely, a score of 280.2 means that the school's pupils achieved one fewer point at age 15. A score of 287.2 means that, on average, each of the school's pupils achieved one grade higher in one GCSE than the median for pupils with similar KS2 or KS3 attainment, while a score of 275.2 means that, on average, each of the school's pupils achieved one grade lower in one GCSE than the median for pupils with similar KS2 or KS3 attainment.

Presentation 3

The final presentation of the value added scores is a ratio of the 'expected' to the actual average capped point score for the school. 'Expected' here refers to the results the school would have achieved if every pupil had achieved the median result for pupils with their prior attainment.

A score of 1.00 means that the school achieved the expected average capped point score. Scores below 1.00 mean that the school average capped point score was lower than the expected and a score above 1.00 means that the school achieved an average capped point score higher than that expected.

A score of 1.10 means that, on average, each of the school's pupils achieved 10% more points than expected. A score of 0.90 means that, on average, each of the school's pupils achieved 10% fewer points than expected.

Examples

For a school with an average capped point score of 330, a score of 1.10 means that, on average, pupils achieved 10% more points than expected. The expected point score for the school was 300 and on average, the pupils each scored 30 extra points.

For a school with an average capped point score of 440, a score of 1.10 means that, on average, pupils achieved 10% more points than expected. The expected point score for the school was 400 and on average, the pupils each scored 40 extra points.

Historical KS2 to KS3 value added measure for cohort

These columns show the historical KS2 to KS3 value added measure for the cohort of 15 year old pupils and the percentage of pupils included in the value added calculation. These columns are for information only and will be used only in the evaluation of the pilot study.

The historical KS2 to KS3 value added scores are shown as measures centred around 100. Scores above 100 represent schools where, on average, pupils made more progress than similar pupils nationally, while scores below 100 represent schools where pupils made less progress.

A score of 101 means that, on average, each of the school's pupils made a sixth of a national curriculum level more progress between KS2 and KS3 than the median for pupils with similar KS2 attainment. This represents approximately one term's extra progress. Conversely a score of 99 means that the school's pupils made a term's less progress.

KS3 to GCSE equivalent value added measure

This set of columns show the KS3 to GCSE equivalent value added information and is presented in the same way as the KS2 to GCSE equivalent value added measure explained on the previous page.

Significance of the indices

The degree of significance that can be attached to any particular school's value added measure depends, among other factors, on the number of pupils included in the value added calculation. The smaller the number of pupils, the less confidence can be placed on the value added measure as an indicator of whether the effectiveness of a school is significantly above or below average.

As a guide: at KS2 to GCSE and equivalent, using presentation 1, for schools with approximately 50 pupils in the value added measure, scores of 978.8 to 1004.3 are broadly average, while for schools with 100+ pupils, scores of 982.5 to 1000.6 are broadly average. Using presentation 2, for schools with approximately 50 pupils in the value added measure, scores of 260.0 to 285.5 are broadly average, while for schools with 100+ pupils, scores of 263.7 to 281.8 are broadly average. Using presentation 3, for schools with approximately 50 pupils in the value added measure, scores of 0.93 to 1.07 are broadly average, while for schools with 100+ pupils, scores of 0.95 to 1.05 are broadly average.

When comparing the measures for two schools a similar effect holds. At KS2 to GCSE and equivalent, using either presentation 1 or 2, when comparing schools with cohorts of about 50 pupils, differences of up to 18.0 should not be regarded as statistically significant. For schools with about 100 pupils, differences of up to 12.76 should not be regarded as significant.

Particular care should be taken with the results for schools where cohort sizes are small. For example, for schools with 10 pupils included in either of the value added measures, using presentation 1, only scores of below 963.0 or above 1020.1 are likely to be significantly different from the average. Using presentation 2, only scores of below 244.2 or above 301.3 are likely to be significantly different from the average and using presentation 3, only scores of below 0.84 or above 1.16 are likely to be significantly different from the average.

The value added profile for the KS2 to GCSE and equivalent value added measure centred around 1000 is shown in the table below:

The two tables below show the profiles for the historical KS2 to KS3 and the KS3 to GCSE and equivalent value added measures respectively.

The coverage indicators also give some indication of schools where the value added measures may be unrepresentative: a low coverage indicator means that information was not available to calculate the value added scores of many of the school's pupils, and so these pupils could not be included in the school value added calculation.

Results in all approved qualifications for pupils aged 15

The figures in the top left hand corner of these columns have been re-worked to include all approved qualifications achieved by 15 year old pupils. The figure in the bottom right hand corner is replicated from the main secondary GCSE/GNVQ performance tables and includes GCSEs and GNVQs only. These columns show the percentage of pupils achieving:

• the equivalent of five or more GCSE grades A*-C;
• the equivalent of five or more GCSE grades A*-G;
• the percentage of pupils who have achieved no passes at GCSE grades A*-G or equivalent;
• entry level qualifications only. Entry level qualifications are below a grade G at GCSE and aimed mainly at pupils with SEN ; and
• no result in any approved qualification at the end of compulsory schooling

as well as the average capped point score per 15 year old.

Other vocational qualifications for 15 year olds

These columns show the number and percentage of 15 year old pupils studying for other specified vocational qualifications and units that are not counted in the main indicators. They show:

• the number of pupils aged 15 taking the courses or units; and
• the percentage of pupils achieving all of the qualifications or units for which they studied in 2002/2003.

The figures in the top left hand corner have been re-worked to remove all approved qualifications previously counted in this column that are now included in the main indicators. Figures in this corner provide information on 15 year olds who have achieved units of GNVQs and/or NVQs that cannot be included in the main indicators. Where a figure is shown in the bottom right hand corner this is replicated from the main secondary tables.

Length of time at current school

These columns show:

• the percentage of 15 year old pupils who have been in the school for five years - i.e. they were on roll at the same school throughout the whole of their secondary education; and
• the percentage of 15 year old pupils who have been in the school for two years - i.e. they were on roll at the same school for the two years leading up to taking examinations at the end of compulsory schooling.

Additional information

GCSE/GNVQ results were supplied by the awarding bodies concerned in September 2003. These results were then checked by the schools involved in the pilot in October and published in both the main secondary GCSE/GNVQ tables and the KS2 to GCSE/GNVQ value added pilot tables in January 2004.

Data in all other approved qualifications were supplied by awarding bodies in December 2003. These additional results were then checked by the schools involved in the pilot in January 2004.

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