Meeting documents

The Council Executive is asked to:

The LEA was commended highly by Department for Education and Skills (DfES) officers at a recent review meeting, for being high performing and successful. It was described as being at the leading edge of school improvement, with particularly rich and detailed data analysis which is being used effectively at school and LEA levels. The data analysis provided for schools in Bath & North East Somerset is to be used nationally for training purposes as part of the National Strategies to raise standards. This is a high accolade.

4.1.1 At the end of Key Stage 1 the performance of pupils age 7 years is measured by Standards Assessment Tasks (SATs) and teacher assessment. The SATs are marked by their teachers and moderated and audited by the LEA. These results are not published and schools are not required to set targets for Key Stage 1 SATs. Teacher assessment will become the main assessment process for 7 year olds from 2005.

Figures in brackets are for 2003

Figures in brackets are for 2003

*Level 2B: The scores gained in the tests are converted in to the levels. Level 2 has a wide band of scores. To help schools and parents understand the pupils' attainment this particular level is subdivided into three: 2A is the highest, 2B in the middle and 2C the lowest. None of the other levels are subdivided officially.

4.2.1 The SATs for pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 (11 year olds) are published school by school and have to be made readily available to the public, unless there are less than 10 children in the year group. The governing body of each school with Key Stage 2 pupils have to set targets for Level 4 and Level 5.

4.2.2 Level 4 is the expected benchmark for Key Stage 2 pupils. It is judged that pupils need Level 4 in English particularly but also in mathematics in order to be able to access the secondary school curriculum. Key Stage 2 results are one of the most accurate predictors for individual pupil performance at GCSE (16 years of age).

4.2.3 Data for 2004 is still provisional awaiting national confirmation from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA).

Key Stage 2 Level 4 or more: (Level 4 is the expected benchmark for 11 year olds)

Figures in brackets are for 2003

2004 was the first time that over 80% of 11 year old pupils gained Level 4 or more in English and mathematics in Bath & North East Somerset. This is a particularly pleasing result.

4.2.4 David Miliband, Minister for School Standards, has written to congratulate the LEA and its primary schools for being one of the most improved in the country. The results for eleven year olds, improved in 2004 by almost twice the national average and are within the top 15% of all LEAs.

4.2.5 The highly aspirational targets for the LEA were 88% Level 4 for both English and mathematics. There are no targets for science. The aggregation of the individual school pupil targets was 81.8% for English and 83.6% for mathematics. The outcome was close to the schools' aspirations.

4.2.6 There is a wide range of school performance. Some schools have excellent outcomes at the upper end, including 9 in English and 6 in mathematics with 100%. There are 19 schools with under 80% in English (of which 9 are below 66%) and 23 in maths (7 below 66%). There is a national target that all schools should exceed 65% in both subjects. It is not unreasonable that there should be no schools below 80% in Bath & North East Somerset and that 90% of pupils in Bath & North East Somerset should achieve Level 4 in English and mathematics, even though this is challenging.

The number of schools falling in each band:

4.2.7 There was no gender difference in the 2004 results for mathematics. However, there was a 9 percentage point gap in English. In reading it was 7 percentage points and in writing 15 percentage points. There have been some improvements in the performance of boys. Conversely there are indications that the girls are improving at a slower rate than those in other LEAs. Even so, boys, especially their writing, continue to be an area of concern in this LEA.

4.2.8 Although Level 5 in the expected benchmark for Key Stage 3 pupils at 14 years of age, many 11 year olds also achieve it. Primary Schools are required to set Level 5 targets.

4.2.9 The Level 5 results in Bath & North East Somerset continue to improve and are also very creditable. However, they are made up of a similarly wide distribution of individual school results.

Key Stage 2 Level 5

Figures in brackets are for 2003

Key Stage 3 Level 5

Figures in brackets are for 2003

4.3.4 Results in mathematics and science, although below the aspirational target set locally, continue to improve steadily. This LEA was one of only seven LEAs in the country to improve on the 2003 result in science. The English result is also the best ever. In the past it has been variable, so it is too early to say that continual improvement is secure.

4.3.5 Overall these results, which are above the national averages and compare very favourably with other LEAs, are pleasing and a credit to the pupils and their teachers. However, there is a wide spread of results between the schools. The LEA's challenging targets were not achieved by about 4 percentage points. There is significant room for further improvement.

4.3.6 The results at Level 6 are above national average and compare favourably with other LEAs. The result for mathematics was the only one to improve on the previous year.

Key Stage 3 Level 6

Figures in brackets are for 2003

4.4 Key Stage 4

4.4.1 The GCSE results for pupils age 16 years have long been the key measure of secondary school performance. The Governing Body have to set targets for GCSE and the results are published. 2004 saw the introduction of a new way of calculating average point scores so there are no comparisons from the previous year.

4.4.2 Vocational GCSEs are not so wide spread and are less well developed in this LEA compared to many others. The development of a 14-19 strategy will help address this.

Key Stage 4 GCSE

Figures in brackets are for 2003

4.5 Post Sixteen (Sixth form)

4.5.1 Post 16 provision is non-statutory and funded through the local Learning and Skills Council (LSC). Results are published nationally but there is no requirement for the governing body to set targets. Schools in Bath & North East Somerset have agreed to do so voluntarily.

Post 16 `A' Level

Figures in brackets are for 2003

Looked After Children Performance Summary 2004

KS2 2004

KS4 2004

A risk assessment related to the issue and recommendations has been undertaken, in compliance with the Council's decision making risk management guidance.