Cohort information

5 replies

Aigle · 13/10/2015 20:16

In the DfE secondary league tables there is a section on cohort listing Low/Middle/High attainers. Does that information reflect the KS2 'attainment' of the Y11 cohort (who's GCSE's the table pertains to)?

OP posts:

camptownraces · 16/10/2015 08:37

Cohort info of this kind will be a poor predictor of attainment even in years when there wasn't a boycott. See Cambridge research on the subject.

MidYIS or CAT scores have a better predictive power.

Even if armed with information about the 2009 intake's performance in 2014 GCSE and so-called baseline information, parents should beware taking it too seriously. A lot can change in six years - admissions policy, feeder schools' characteristics and intake six years earlier etc etc.

Value added is important - but that too can be expected to vary over time, between subjects and so on.

For prediction of future performance, nothing beats a realistic assessment of your own child's ability and attainment, and few primary schools pass that info on. They are expected to be positive at all times.

Original poster

Aigle · 15/10/2015 19:06

I didn't realise that SAT's were boycotted in some places? Can you explain at bit more?

OP posts:

WildStallions · 14/10/2015 13:09

Yes, KS2 Level 3s = Low, Level 4s = Middle and Level 5s = High

noblegiraffe · 13/10/2015 21:15

It's not going to be particularly accurate this year because this was the year group which boycotted the SATs.

titchy · 13/10/2015 20:24

Yes

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