MORE INFORMATION

THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM

Pupils aged 5 to 16 in state schools must be taught the National Curriculum. This is divided into four 'Key Stages' that depend on children's ages.

National Qualifications Framework

The National Qualifications Framework (NQF) sets out the levels at which qualifications can be recognised. Only qualifications that have been accredited by the regulatory authorities are included in the NQF. These accredited qualifications are subsequently approved by the Secretary of State for use by pupils of compulsory school age. Qualifications approved for use pre-16 include general, vocational and occupational categories. The Tables report qualifications at Level 2, Level 1 and Entry Level recognised under the NQF. The Tables also report achievements in AS qualifications taken early.

Equivalences

The Tables have previously only counted GCSEs and GNVQs in the performance indicators. In order to report a wider range of qualifications QCA have assigned figures to all qualifications approved for use pre 16. Each qualification has been assigned a threshold contribution figure expressed as a percentage as well as a point score.

5 GCSEs at A*-C (and equivalent) contributes 100% to the Level 2 threshold.

5 GCSEs at A*-G (and equivalent) contributes 100% to the Level 1 threshold.

Using this formula, a GCSE A*-C is equal to one fifth, or 20% of the threshold because the GCSE is assigned a Level 2 threshold contribution of 20% by QCA. In the same way, all qualifications included in Achievement and Attainment Tables have been assigned a percentage contribution to the threshold. The table below shows, as a guide, an example of qualifications and their threshold contribution. An intermediate GNVQ is shown as worth 80% of the Level 2 threshold and is therefore equivalent to 4 GCSEs.

The full range of qualifications approved for use with pupils of compulsory school age, including the threshold contribution and point scores are available from the QCA website www.openquals.org.uk

Entry Level qualifications are below a grade G at GCSE and represent the first tier of the NQF. Entry Level qualifications are aimed at Key Stage 4 students, in particular those with SEN. This qualification has a point score assigned to it but does not contribute towards the Level 2 or Level 1 threshold.

GCSE (AND EQUIVALENT) RESULTS

Which students are included?

The information is based on all students in each school who were aged 15 at the start of the 2003/04 school year, including students of that age who did not obtain any GCSE (or equivalent) qualifications because they were not entered or did not pass any.

All the results achieved by 15 year olds in 2004, and in earlier years, if they took GCSE (and equivalent) exams when they were younger than 15, are included. The results of some students who took exams early and have since moved to a different school or college have been shown against the school where they took their examinations.

Some students take their examinations late, because of illness, because they are from overseas, or for other reasons. The results of these students - aged 16 or over at the start of the 2003/04 school year - are not shown in these columns.

The results for some schools have been adjusted. Some schools requested that students recently admitted from overseas with little or no English be discounted from the figures. This has been agreed where the student was admitted to the school in the 2002/03 or 2003/04 school year from outside the United Kingdom and their first language is not English. The Government accepts that these students will not do their best in examinations until they have improved their English language skills and are more familiar with the school curriculum in this country.

Some schools have had their results adjusted if they admitted a student who was permanently excluded from another school in the 2002/03 or 2003/04 school year. Students admitted to a maintained school following permanent exclusion from another maintained school are not counted in the number of 15 year olds on roll but any results achieved by these pupils do contribute towards the school's figures. This is part of the Government's policy to encourage schools to admit students permanently excluded from elsewhere so that they can continue their education.