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HOW TO READ THE TABLES
The tables on the following pages show both performance and value added information. The format follows the present school and college performance tables. These tables cover a selection of contextual and performance information for each school as it appears in the 1998 secondary school performance tables. They also present value added measures.
Mainstream and special schools are listed separately. The value added scores for special schools have been calculated separately, so that special schools are compared only with each other.
Please note that national averages, shown at the top of each column, can have negative values and this should be taken into account when comparing them with the indicators for an individual school. For example, a small negative score for a school may represent a result which is better than the national average.
  • Value added score: Average value added indicator for each school, shown as a numerical score.
    An aggregate of pupil value added scores, providing an overall value added indicator.
     
  • Value added band: As for first column except shown as a band.
    There are 5 bands, A to E. Band A is the top 5% of schools above the median; Band B the next 20%; Band C the 50% of schools closest to the median line; Band D the next 20% of schools below the median; and Band E the 5% of schools furthest below the median.
     
  • Stability measure.
    The percentage of 15 year old pupils who were at the school when they took their Key Stage 3 tests, giving an indication of the volume of pupils arriving at or leaving the school between Key Stage 3 tests and GCSE/GNVQ exams in 1998.
     
  • Value added coverage: Percentage of 15 year old pupils included in the calculation of value added measures.
    Examples of pupils not included are those disregarded because of absence or who have missing results for all Key Stage 3 tests.
     
  • Value added score by KS3 performance.
    These three columns compare the progress made by pupils who have achieved an average Key Stage 3 level of: (i) 4 or below (ii) between 4 and 5.66 and (iii) over 5.66. The value added indicators are shown as numerical scores.
    For special schools, the average levels at Key Stage 3 are grouped as follows:(i) 2.5 and below (ii) between 2.5 and 4 (iii) 4 and above.
    This allows a comparison to be made between pupils with different starting points at Key Stage 3. For example, if a pupil's average Key Stage 3 result is 4 or less, but their GCSE /GNVQ point score is ahead of other pupils with the same or similar starting point, then they will register a higher value added score. This type of indicator is useful where there is a range of achievement levels in one school, to show how the different groups of pupils have progressed.
     
  • Value added band by KS3 performance.
    As for the previous three columns except shown as bands ( A to E as above ).
     
  • Value added score - boys and girls: Average value added indicators for boys and girls separately.
    Within each school (reading across the page) and compared with the national average (at the top of each column ), shown as numerical scores. This means it is possible to see how boys have progressed compared to girls within the same school, between schools, or by gender nationally.
     
    • 'No score' and 'No pupils' also appear within the columns:
  • 'No score' - where a special school has no GCSE/GNVQ entries and a value added indicator cannot be calculated;
     
  • 'No pupils' - where there are no pupils in a particular category: for example in the column for value added score for boys for an all girls school.
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