School and College Key Stage 5 Achievement and Attainment Tables 2009 Kent and Medway FE40 Introduction These tables provide information on the achieve- ment and attainment of students of sixth-form Kent and Medway age in local secondary schools and further educa- FE40 tion sector colleges. Local Authorities covered: They also show how these results compare with Kent other schools and colleges in the area and in England as a whole. Medway The tables list, in alphabetical order and sub- divided by the local authority (LA), the further education sector colleges, maintained secondary schools and independent schools in the LSC area with students of sixth-form age. Special schools that have chosen to be included are also listed, and a inal section lists any sixth-form centres or consortia that operate in the area. Each entry gives information about the attainment of students at the end of study in general and applied A and AS level examinations and equiva- lent level 3 qualiication (otherwise referred to as the end of ‘Key Stage 5’). The information in these tables only provides part of the picture of the work done in schools and colleges. For example, colleges often provide for a wider range of student needs and include adults as well as young people among their students. The tables should be considered alongside other important sources of information such as Ofsted reports and school and college prospectuses. Ofsted school inspection reports can be found on Ofsted’s website at www.ofsted.gov.uk or direct from the school. Maintained schools must provide parents with prospectuses on request. Connexions will also be an important source of information and advice for young people considering their post-16 options. For more infor- mation on connexions and the contact details of your local connexions provider please visit www.connexions-direct.com 1 How to Read these Tables School or college particulars The 2009 results The tables give the following details for each The general and applied A level, AS examination school and college: and equivalent qualiication results were provid- ed by the awarding bodies concerned and made ■ the name, address and telephone number; available to schools and colleges for checking in ■ what type of school or college it is; October 2009. ■ whether the school is a designated specialist school (e.g. Arts, Language, Sports, Some reviews requested of awarding bodies Technology, Science college etc); by schools and colleges, of grades awarded to ■ the admissions policy for schools (selective, students were not completed in time to afect comprehensive, modern, non-selective); the information included in these tables. It is, ■ whether the school or college is mainly for therefore, possible that, for some schools and girls, boys or both; colleges, the published information would have ■ the main age range of the school or college; been diferent had the results of the reviews been and available earlier. If you have an interest in a par- ■ the total number of students aged 16, 17 and ticular institution’s results, you should check with 18 at the start of the 2008/09 academic year the school or college. that were registered at the school or college in If a school or college did not conirm that it had January 2009, regardless of what they studied. checked its results and/or background informa- tion, the initial ‘R’ appears after its age range. 2 Abbreviations and symbols that appear in this section The number of 16-18 year old students (age at start of academic year, i.e. are explained in the “Abbreviations and their meanings” section 31st August 2008) on roll at the institution. at the back of the booklet. VA measure based on individual pupil progress between KS4 and KS5. The measure is represented as a number based around 1000 and indicates the value the institution has added on average for their pupils. VA scores are a way of estimating the underlying efectiveness of an institution. As we cannot calculate this score exactly we provide a conidence interval. The conidence interval gives a range for where the VA score is most likely to fall. The igures here show the upper and lower limits of this range. The percentage of students eligible for AlAS or equivalent study who were included in the value added calculation. A VA measure is not published for institutions with less than 50% coverage. These four columns show the average point score per student These four columns show the average point score per entry The number of 16-18 and how the results have changed since 2006. and how the results have changed since 2006. year old students (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31st August 2008) at the end of AlAS or equivalent The average point score per entry in 2009. The average point score per entry is calculated by study and on roll in dividing the total number of points achieved by students at the end of AlAS or equivalent study January 2009. by the total number of entries. The average point score per student in 2009. The average point score per student is calculated by dividing the total number of points achieved by students at the end of AlAS or equivalent study by the number of students on roll at the end of AlAS or equivalent study. 3 Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5 value added measure A Key Stage 4 to 5 Value Added (VA) measure has Calculation of the value added (VA) scores been published for all schools and colleges. It is We base each student’s VA score on a comparison important these complementary measures are between their total Key Stage 5 point score - and not focussed on in isolation, as to do so could give the typical performance of students with similar rise to misleading interpretation of an institution’s characteristics and similar results at Key Stage 4. performance. If the student’s total Key Stage 5 results are bet- What is value added? ter than the average achieved by their peers, the VA will be positive; if they do less well, it will be The level 3 examination results attained by stu- negative. dents provide important information about the performance of an institution. All individual student scores, positive and nega- tive, are added together and an average produced We know, however, that every student is diferent for the institution. That average is then adjusted to and each will have their own learning needs: some account for the number of students at the end of will have to do a lot of catching up to achieve A Key Stage 5 to give the institution level VA score. level or equivalent level 3 qualiications, for others The VA score is then presented as a number based it may be relatively easily attained. around 1000. This indicates the value the school/ We therefore also measure the progress made by college has added on average for its students, a student from the end of Key Stage 4 to the end given what is known about the circumstances of of Key Stage 5. When comparing the performance its student intake. A more detailed explanation of institutions it is important to recognise the of the statistical model and the calculations used progress they have helped students make. Simple to produce the VA score can be found in the ‘Key value added (VA) measures allow comparisons Stage 4 to 5 Guide to VA’ document on the website to be made between institutions with diferent www.dcsf.gov.uk/performancetables . intakes by taking into account each student’s starting point or Key Stage 4 prior attainment, Interpretation of a school’s VA score usually attained whilst in Year 11 – the biggest The VA section of this publication shows, for each single predictor of their results at Key Stage 5. The school: Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5 VA is not very diferent from simple VA. The basic principle of measuring ■ the Key Stage 4 to 5 VA score progress from the end of Key Stage 4 to qualiica- ■ the upper and lower limits of a 95% tions attained at Key Stage 5 remains the same. conidence interval ■ a coverage indicator However, the VA measure published in these The coverage indicator shows the percentage of tables take account of a number of other explana- students at the end of Key Stage 5 included in the tory factors which have been observed to impact VA calculation. This might not be 100% because on its students’ results, even after allowing for we do not have prior attainment for some stu- their prior attainment, such as gender, the type of dents (e.g. the Key Stage 4 examination results) qualiication and size of the learning programme - for example, because they were previously they have studied. educated outside England. If the coverage is very Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5 VA therefore goes a step low (below 50 percent) then the VA score is not further than simple VA by taking these factors into published because it does not properly represent account and thus gives a much fairer measure of the efectiveness of the school or college. the efectiveness of an institution. This means that comparisons against other schools and colleges are more meaningful. 4 What a school’s VA measure tells you? other things, on the number of students included in the calculation. An institutional VA score of 1030 means that on average each of the school/college students The VA methodology produces a 95 percent CI to achieved the equivalent of one A level grade show the range within which we can be conident higher in one subject than the average attained the VA score represents the overall efectiveness by similar students.