How to access GCSE grades by subject for a school

[Gonzoo]

Can anyone point in the right direction? I'm trying to find last years GCSE results by subject for a school and not managing that level of data.

I don’t have the answer for you OP, but just to suggest that you may get something closer to what you want if you are able to speak to the school about it rather than trying to do a FOI request or similar as your first step. I do appreciate you may well have already tried speaking to them! I am just thinking that, IME, (bearing in mind my experience is not within educational establishments) FOI requests, especially as a first step really get people’s backs up. You get the refrain of “why didn’t they just ask” etc etc, often followed by the pissed off) people being quite obstructive about providing the data requested. Even if speaking with them doesn’t get you what you want, at least if you do end up going down the FOI route asking first heads off that ability to criticise you.

Yes but DS is at a selective indie and every pupil does the 3 sciences as individual subjects so as physics, biology and chemistry. So I do appreciate that his school stats would not be the norm. It was more useful for him to see at A level when trying decide his final subjects and seeing that one in particular had a far higher % of A*s than the other.

I think A level grades for each subject are very useful when choosing subjects. Some schools do publish GCSE grades but I think the optional subjects are most useful. You then have extra data to add to decision-making. Schools have published data which shows two pupils taking Urdu GCSE, for example, where I live.

All results were published in newspapers not long ago and the best pupils are still photographed grinning with their results! The results are all detailed with names attached. There is no need for secrecy and where I live it appears normal to publish names, subjects and grades - but only for the top performers. All 9s at GCSE were certainly named!

I don't understand how publishing GCSE results by subject could be in violation of Data Protection Laws. All private schools I have looked at have this data published, often available to all on their websites. Most I have seen publish in detail for the past 3-5 years, some even further back. Are they all in violation of the law?

Here is an example from a school I have no affiliation with:
www.highgateschool.org.uk/images/news/exam_results_2017_gcse.pdf

No privacy is breached, so why would it be against Data Protection?

Im sorry - what are you all talking about? The data is on the website I sent to the OP in the first page of this conversation?

The reliability of data produced for internal-only reasons & for sharing with outside parties is often totally different.

I don't understand what this means; could you expand, please. What is the point of any data unless it is reliable?

janinlondon
If you read your own link you'll find it just leads to the DFE tables which is not the same thing.

Mominatrix
I guess Highgate pupils sign away their rights when they pay the fees. The kid who got the low grade in maths must HATE that table.

But again, if its a school that has an inclusive intake, raw grades will tell you little.

Why would that person mind - is their name listed next to the grade?

The point is that most, if not all, private schools list results and it is not considered a data protection issue.

I guess you are not the parent of the single child in the year who got the lowest grade .....
Those who want "all the data" rarely are

Honestly why are you on this thread @Talkinpeece? You disagree that anyone should have the data I'm interested in. You've been unhelpful and unpleasant. And you've made several completely erroneous assumptions about who I am and why I want the data. Is this enjoyable to you? Do you read threads looking to see if you can pick a fight?

The only way a school can publish names and grades together, or grades where only one or two pupils take the subject is if those students agree to it. If they say no then their results cannot be published. It doesn't matter if outsiders would like to see them or they think they'd be useful. It's the child's data and if it's identifying in any way (such as if only one or two have sat the subject) then they can refuse permission.

It's clear why people are more likely to agree if they have gained a string of As rather than a couple of lower grades.

Some schools do publish rough percentages in their prospectus, some of these are online, some are sent to prospective students and some are paper based only. But not all do and I don't think they're under any obligation to do so, other than the official league table data. And even then some schools are exempt.

Mominatrix. Not all independent schools do publish the detailed data at all. I know a few who don't or who don't include data of pupils who haven't given permission. It's only not a data protection issue if all the pupils included have given permission for identifying data to be shared.

In school A, anyone who chooses Science can and does take it. In school B anyone who looks like they will fail at prelim time is removed from the course. Will those schools have the same results? Will the results show you which school had better teaching?

Mominatrix. Not all independent schools do publish the detailed data at all.

Let me rephrase, most, if not all school of a certain academic profile publish detailed data, warts and all.

This page is interesting ....
www.etoncollege.com/userfiles/files/2018%20GCSE%20Statistics.pdf
Does Eton not do Maths ?
or Geography?
or Art?
or are these schools VERY selective in what they publish ?

Cannot find full GCSE results for Winchester or Westminster ....

if not all school of a certain academic profile

I disagree still. Many, who do get very high grades, do not publish all data. As I say I know of several who don't, or at least don't publish all data. And yes, some of those are high attaining schools!

*if not all school of a certain academic profile

Unless you mean the type that are incredibly selective and only allow children to sit the exams if they are achieving a certain level. And let's face it, integrity from that kind isn't likely to be of the highest calibre anyway. Mind I also know of at least two state schools who do that!

Surely pupil permission does not need to be sought in order to publish summary school information?
It's not identifying unless only one or two pupils are entered for a subject.

It's not identifying unless only one or two pupils are entered for a subject.
Indeed, identifiable characteristics are covered by GDPR ....

This school clearly "pre filters"
spgs.org/academic/results/gcse-results/
So the results tell you nothing about the standard of teaching
and its sad that they do not seem to do Art or Music GCSE

www.goodschoolsguide.co.uk

I just searched the school I used to teach at and has some breakdowns for subjects under the data tab

tissues
some breakdowns
Yup, but optional publishing will be selective .... eg why has Eton missed out all Maths?
Did they really have nobody do Further or stats ?

Use the website that languageasaFlower has linked to.

If you select 2017 GCSE grades instead of 2018 (provisional) ones, you can look at data by subject group.

You can get (for Sciences):
% achieving C or above
% achieving G and above
% entered
Value added, split by prior attainment [be wary of confidence intervals, which can be very wide at this level of detail]

If you also open the 'Other measures' subsection by clicking on it, you will also get the % entered for triple science.

Is that of any help?