Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

Do you analyse gcse data schools provide or look at it closely?

32 replies

youarenotkiddingme · 25/08/2017 19:03

Been looking around local schools and this years results compared to previous years (some schools have new HT) and county and national average.

Catchment school has results which I think are not great for a 140 ish pupil year group yet they've sold it as amazing (they have a reputation for this)

They've said 71% passed an English grade 4 or above with 40% gaining higher passes.

55% passed maths grade 4 or higher with 30% gaining higher pass marks.

Then say 100% who took triple science got A*-C.

Then announce number passing science was 61%.

There's them a list of a number of subjects that they got 100% A*-C pass rate.

(Music/art/textiles and dance)

Am I right in thinking it's normal to have good triple science pass as most schools only allow pupils to do it who will pass?
That in a year group of 140 the number of students doing music etc will be about 5-10 and again these are students who will have a talent and take gcse because they'll get a good grade?

Am I also right in thinking the % of those passing both maths and English above a grade 4 must be 55% or less and so that's only about 75 pupils?

There's kid about how they offer over 20 different subjects but their core subjects don't appear to me to be good?

Other local schools have announced between 71 and 79% pass rate for both which I know is very good.

OP posts:
AuntieFester · 26/08/2017 01:33

Afaik, progress 8 just measures progress but doesn't tell you the starting point, lower GCSE's results compared to previous years will tell you if it was a 'bad' year.
Could be wrong.

Original poster
youarenotkiddingme · 25/08/2017 22:22

Yes developing is a good point.

I guess the progress 8 score will tell me that? Doesn't that indicate how much progress that year group has made since KS2? So I can see if it was a particularly bad year cohort wise.

OP posts:
yikesanotherbooboo · 25/08/2017 22:12

Like you I think it is very difficult to unpick results. The main key is how children develop i.e. How they develop from yr 7 to yr 11.eg my son goes to a school with a highly academic entrance exam.... of course they get good results!

Original poster
youarenotkiddingme · 25/08/2017 20:33

Thankyou - that's what I was thinking. It's very much propaganda but the results didn't look worth selling.
70 pupils will have to retake maths from this year 11 group. I compared it to other local schools who have 200-280 per year to see if it was comparable with change of exam iyswim?

I know last year their progress 8 put them above national average which the other schools were national average - yet the results of other schools seem similar to previous years but this school has always had poor results - had a new HT who put exclusions above national average but got good results and now there's another new HT and results appear to have plummeted again. I suspect lack of exclusions may play a part!

From looking at info they have lower than NA EAL, slightly higher PP and lower SEN. It also states there is an issue with PP pupils and attendance. But I doubt that's enough to account for 45% not achieving pass in maths?

It's definitely food for thought - and certainly at open evenings etc I guess it's ok to ask what their plans are to improve maths pass rate?

OP posts:
BubblesBuddy · 25/08/2017 19:47

Schools write their own headlines at this time of year so take it all with a pinch of salt. They will pick out the stats that put them in the best light and the information is not comparable.

For example, how many got higher grades in anything? I think the 100% was the A-G rate. Not A-C. I would ideally want to see a breakdown of subjects and grades. Definitely A* and A grades because these matter for A level study. If pupils get mostly 4/5 and B/C they won't get many to good universities down the line. However, those results could indicate stellar progress.

The other information that is important is the progress information from last year's exams. This year will not have been calculated yet but this figure (if it's a plus) indicates pupils making progress.

When choosing a school, exam results are not everything because the school may be stuffed full of bright middle class children who are a small minority in another school. I would therefore only compare official results and not school propaganda!

Original poster
youarenotkiddingme · 25/08/2017 19:24

Any input and different viewpoint is useful!

They had ofsted a few months ago so I'll have a look as that reports Sen and PP etc I think?

OP posts:
DriftingDreamer · 25/08/2017 19:09

It is so very tricky to assess data I think.
Unfortunately [I think] headline figures taken as reflection of how good a school is when not always. Cohorts can be less/ more able, less/ more advantaged, high % new to country/ language, high SEN- you get the picture.
A small low ability cohort [for example] and a school can look crap. Doesn't mean it is. A school with loads of 8/9 and A*s may have 'easier' cohort'.
Not being helpful I know!!

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.

Swipe left for the next trending thread