VALUE ADDED

While it is clear from raw examination results if pupils are achieving above or below the expected level, it is not obvious which schools have helped pupils to make more progress from one stage of their education to the next. The progress schools help individuals make relative to their different starting points is usually referred to as value added. Value added measures are intended to allow comparisons between schools with different pupil intakes.

It is for example possible to measure the progress from KS2 to KS3, made by pupils, relative to other pupils, by comparing their KS3 achievement with the achievements of other pupils nationally with the same KS2 results. Pupils attending school 'A' may achieve results in KS3 tests above the expected level while pupils at school 'B' achieve below, but in value added terms the pupils at school 'B' may have made more progress than other pupils relative to their KS2 starting point and therefore have a higher value added 'score'.

The matching of exam and test results across different years for individual pupils requires accurate date of birth information. Comprehensive, consistent dates of birth for KS1, KS2 and KS3 have only been available since 1998 which is, therefore, the earliest baseline for our value added measures. We intend to develop value added across all key stages as the data becomes available after first running a pilot to test methodology and presentation. Following the introduction of the Qualifying for Success reforms, we have had to delay implementation of post-16 value added measures nationally at least until the first full set of results under the new framework becomes available. The broad timetable is as follows:

The Department provided the participating schools with their pupils' KS3 and/or GCSE/GNVQ results achieved up to the end of the 2000/2001 academic year, which forms the 'output' measure or finishing point for the value added calculation. Details of their KS2 or KS3 achievement that forms the 'input' measure or starting point of the value added calculation were also provided. The schools were asked to check the KS3 and GCSE/GNVQ results and that, for each pupil, they matched with the correct prior KS2 or KS3 results.