Data set from Key stage 4 performance

KS4 national characteristics data

Not the latest data

Published 26 November 2020

Last updated 26 November 2020

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Data set details

• Theme: School and college outcomes and performance
• Publication: Key stage 4 performance
• Release: Academic year 2019/20
• Geographic levels: National
• Indicators:
  • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
  • Average EBacc APS score per pupil
  • Average Progress 8 score of all pupils
• Filters:
  • All pupils with a primary need (from 2014/15 onwards this consisted of pupils flagged as SEN with a statement, EHC plan, SEN support, school action or school action plus)
  • Basis for admission into the school e.g. non-selective schools in other areas, selective schools
  • Disadvantaged status
• Time period: 2018/19 to 2019/20

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Data set preview

Table showing first 5 rows, from underlying data

time_period	time_identifier	geographic_level	country_code	country_name	version	school_characteristic	breakdown	characteristic_gender	characteristic_ethnic_major	characteristic_ethnic_minor	characteristic_free_school_meals	Characteristic_sen_status	Characteristic_primary_need	Characteristic_all_primary_need	characteristic_sen_description	characteristic_disadvantage	characteristic_first_language	characteristic_admission_type	characteristic_religious_denomination	t_schools	t_pupils	t_att8	avg_att8	t_entbasics	pt_entbasics	t_l2basics_95	pt_l2basics_95	t_l2basics_94	pt_l2basics_94	t_ebacc_e_ptq_ee	pt_ebacc_e_ptq_ee	t_ebacc_95	pt_ebacc_95	t_ebacc_94	pt_ebacc_94	t_ebaccaps	avg_ebaccaps	t_inp8calc	t_p8score	avg_p8score	p8score_CI_low	p8score_CI_upp
201920	Academic year	National	E92000001	England	Revised	Academies and free schools	Ethnic major	Girls	CHINESE	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	480	757	53584.64	70.8	756	99.9	644	85.1	720	95.1	557	73.6	452	59.7	514	67.9	5056.52	6.68	:	:	:	:	:
201920	Academic year	National	E92000001	England	Revised	Academies and free schools	SEN description	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	No identified SEN	Total	Total	Total	Total	2441	362887	19532630.69	53.8	360694	99.4	204116	56.2	283661	78.2	163882	45.2	90119	24.8	125137	34.5	1721741.87	4.74	:	:	:	:	:
201920	Academic year	National	E92000001	England	Revised	Academies and free schools	SEN description	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Any SEN	Total	Total	Total	Total	2435	53415	1888798.02	35.4	51547	96.5	10566	19.8	20521	38.4	8701	16.3	2805	5.3	4622	8.7	154047.7	2.88	:	:	:	:	:
201920	Academic year	National	E92000001	England	Revised	Academies and free schools	Disadvantage	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Disadvantaged	Total	Total	Total	2439	104065	4355447.49	41.9	102022	98	33082	31.8	56837	54.6	30389	29.2	10933	10.5	17978	17.3	367584.99	3.53	:	:	:	:	:
201920	Academic year	National	E92000001	England	Revised	Academies and free schools	SEN status	Girls	Total	Total	Total	SEN Supp	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	Total	2248	18080	695537.13	38.5	17686	97.8	4274	23.6	7820	43.3	3751	20.7	1327	7.3	2104	11.6	56288.29	3.11	:	:	:	:	:

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Variables in this data set

Table showing first 5 of 37 variables

Variable name	Variable description
avg_att8	Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
avg_ebaccaps	Average EBacc APS score per pupil
avg_p8score	Average Progress 8 score of all pupils
breakdown	The breakdown of the data being displayed
characteristic_admission_type	Basis for admission into the school e.g. non-selective schools in other areas, selective schools

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Footnotes

1. From 2013/14 EBacc sciences includes computer science. From 2018 GCSEs in core, additional and further additional science are no longer eligible to count. Sciences includes the double award GCSE in combined science, and single GCSEs in biology, chemistry, physics and computer science.
2. Hospital, PRU & AP schools include Community Hospital School, Foundation Hospital School, Pupil Referral Unit, sponsered academies, convertor academies, free school and alternative provision.
3. English includes 'pupils whose first language is English’ includes 'not known but believed to be English'.
4. Statement/EHC plan indicates whether a pupil a pupil has a statement of SEN or an education, health and care (EHC) plan when a formal assessment has been made.
5. Most secondary schools educate pupils from year 7 (age 11 to 12) to year 11 (age 15 to 16). Some schools and colleges, such as university technical colleges (UTCs), studio schools or further education colleges with key stage 4 provision, differ in their age range and specialisms and this should be borne in mind when reviewing the performance tables data for these types of provision. For example, Progress 8 measures the Progress made by pupils from the end of year 6 (end of primary school) through to the end of year 11, covering a period of five years. In UTCs, studio schools and some other academies, pupils typically start in year 10, rather than in year 7 as is the case for most secondary schools. This means that, by the end of year 11, pupils in these schools will have typically attended that school for only 2 years, compared to 5 years for pupils in most secondary schools. As a result, the Progress 8 data for these schools is not directly comparable with the Progress 8 data for other schools. UTCs, studio schools and some FE colleges with KS4 provision provide a specialist technical and professional education.  The government’s position is that it is not appropriate to expect the same rates of EBacc entry from these types of provision and that each school should decide on a case by case basis whether its specialist curriculum is compatible with the full EBacc.
6. Free school meals (FSM) does not relate to pupils who actually received free school meals but those who are eligible to receive free school meals. Pupils not eligible for free school meals or unclassified pupils are described as ‘All other pupils’.
7. English as an additional language (EAL) unclassified includes pupils whom first language was not obtained, refused or could not be determined.
8. School admission basis is taken from GIAS (Get Information About Schools) website and is self-declared by the school. From 2019, school performance tables will identify selective state-funded mainstream schools using GIAS and treat other state-funded mainstream schools as non-selective. School admissions basis is given as at 12 September at the start of the academic year.
9. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting school closures, the summer exam series was cancelled in 2020. Pupils scheduled to sit GCSE exams in 2020 were awarded either a centre assessment grade submitted by their teachers or their calculated grade using a model developed by Ofqual - whichever was the higher of the two. Due to the changed awarding process for GCSE grades it is recommended that year on year comparisons are not made. For further information: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-cancellation-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2020/coronavirus-covid-19-cancellation-of-gcses-as-and-a-levels-in-2020 
10. SEN support indicates whether a pupil has extra or different help given from that provided as part of the school’s usual curriculum. The class teacher and SEN coordinator (SENCO) may receive advice or support from outside specialists. This category replaces the former ‘school action’ and ‘school action plus’ categories.
11. Explore education statistics (EES) glossary can be found at https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/glossary
12. All State-funded special schools include community special schools, foundation special schools, special sponsored academies, special converter academies and special free schools.
13. No SEN' includes pupils whom could not obtained, refused, unclassified or could not be determined.
14. Social, Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) was added as a new type of need in 2014/15; the previous type of need Behaviour, Emotional and Social Difficulties has been removed although it is not expected that SEMH will be a direct replacement.
15. The English Baccalaureate element includes the three highest point scores from any of the English Baccalaureate qualifications in science subjects, computer science, history, geography, and languages.
16. Non selective schools in other areas: Includes all non-selective schools that are not in highly selective areas, including those in areas with some selection.
17. c = From 2018 revised data, suppression due to low numbers was not applied unless deemed necessary. Previous years' data remains suppressed. For 2020, where a geographical area contains only one school (for example Isles of Scilly) the data for that area has been suppressed. This is in line with the announcement that school level data would not be published using the summer 2020 exam grades awarded.
18. From 2014/15, disadvantaged pupils include pupils known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM) in any spring, autumn, summer, alternative provision or pupil referral unit census from year 6 to year 11 or are looked after children for at least one day or are adopted from care. For 2013/14 and earlier years, they include pupils known to be eligible for FSM in any spring, autumn, summer, alternative provision or pupil referral unit census from year 6 to year 11 or are looked after children.
19. Prior to 2016, school admission basis was taken from the 'Get information about schools' website, which was self-declared by each school and not necessarily a true reflection of a school's admission policy. From 2016, we moved to an alternative classification which will continue into 2017. This is expected to be a more accurate reflection of the current admissions basis of a school. This groups schools into selective schools, non-selective schools in highly selective areas and all other non-selective schools. The selective group covers the same schools as in the previous grouping. Non-selective schools in highly selective areas cover all schools in local authorities where 25% or more of state-funded secondary places are in state-funded selective schools. The all other non-selective schools group includes schools in local authorities with some selection, as well as those with no selection.
20. Some zero percentages may represent small numbers due to rounding.
21. Academies and free schools include sponsored academies, converter academies, free schools studio schools and university technical colleges (UTCs).
22. A new code was added in 2014/15 for those who are yet to be assessed for type of need. This may include some who have transferred from School Action to SEN support.
23. z = When an observation is not applicable
24. All schools include state-funded schools, independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision. Alternative provision includes academy and free school alternative provision. Since September 2013, general further education colleges and sixth-form colleges have been able to directly enrol 14 to 16 year-olds. 2014/15 was the first year in which colleges have pupils at the end of key stage 4. From 2016 onwards, entries and achievements for these pupils are included in figures as state-funded schools.
25. All pupils 'Total' includes pupils for whom free school meal eligibility, special educational need (SEN) provision or SEN primary need could not be determined.
26. FSM all other includes pupils not eligible for free school meals and for whom free school meal eligibility was unclassified or could not be determined.
27. Local authority (LA) maintained mainstream schools include community schools, voluntary aided schools, voluntary controlled schools and foundation schools. Schools fully or partially under local authority control that are state-funded, mainly by the Dedicated Schools Grant.
28. Reformed GCSEs in English and mathematics were taught from September 2015, with the first examinations taking place in Summer 2017. Reformed GCSEs in other subjects were firstly phased in for teaching from September 2016, continued into 2017 and a very small number in 2018, 2019, and 2020. As they were introduced, only the newly reformed GCSEs counted in secondary school performance measures (and tables when published). From 2020, all GCSEs in England have been reformed and use the new 9 to 1 grading system (rather than A*-G) . Year on year comparisons will be limited until these qualifications are consistently included from 2020 onwards. However, results for 2020 are not comparable with earlier years due to the cancellation of exams (due to COVID-19) and the awarding of GCSE grades via centre assessment grades.
29. Includes pupils for whom Special Educational Needs status (SEN provision) or SEN primary could not be determined. This figure also includes pupils at further education colleges: as FE colleges do not complete the school census, we do not have matched pupil characteristics data of pupils in FE colleges and therefore these pupils are not included in characteristics breakdowns. This means that there are some cases where the individual characteristics breakdowns will not add up to the all pupils figure.
30. Other than English includes ‘pupils whose first language is other than English’ includes 'not known but believed to be other than English'.
31. Unclassified includes pupils whom ethnicity was not obtained, refused or could not be determined.
32. A Progress 8 score of 1.0 means pupils in the group make on average approximately a grade more Progress than the national average; a score of -0.5 means they make on average approximately half a grade less Progress than average. Progress 8 scores should be interpreted alongside the associated confidence intervals. If the lower bound of the confidence interval is greater than zero, it can be interpreted as meaning that the group achieves greater than average Progress compared to pupils in mainstream schools nationally and that this is statistically significant. If the upper bound is negative, this means that the group achieves lower than average Progress compared to pupils in mainstream schools nationally and that this is statistically significant.
33. Any SEN' indicates whether a pupil has learning difficulties or disabilities that make it harder for them to learn than most children of the same age. This includes 'SEN with a statement 'EHC plan' or 'SEN support'.
34. Progress 8 data is not being published using 2019/20 data because of the cancellation of GCSE exams. Calculating Progress 8 has an element of modelling (estimating the average Attainment 8 for pupils in similar prior Attainment groups) and with the lack of exam data, the Progress 8 measure is not meaningful as a measure of Progress for 2020.
35. EBacc average point score (Ebacc APS) was introduced as a headline measure in 2018 and replaced the previous threshold 'EBacc Attainment' measure. EBacc APS measures pupils’ point scores across the five pillars of the EBacc. This ensures the Attainment of all pupils is recognised, not just those at particular grade boundaries, encouraging schools to enter pupils of all abilities, and support them to achieve their full potential. Threshold measures are included for completeness and are reported as a percentage of pupils at the end of key stage 4. The two threshold measures are: i) proportion of pupils achieving grade 5/C or above, ii) proportion of pupils achieving a grade 4/C or above respectively.
36. Following special educational needs and disability (SEND) reforms in 2014/15, SEN pupils are categorised as 'SEN with a statement or Education, health and care (EHC) plan' and 'SEN support'. SEN support replaces 'school action' and 'school action plus' (grouped as SEN without a statement up to and including 2013/14) but some pupils remain with these provision types in first year of transition. More detailed information on the reforms can be found in the link below: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25
37. Due to one school being recorded under the Hindu religious character, any figures that are not published in the performance tables are suppressed for this grouping.
38. All pupils with a primary need (from 2014/15 onwards this consisted of pupils flagged as SEN with a statement, EHC plan, SEN support).
39. Non selective schools in highly selective areas: Includes all non-selective schools in local authorities with a high level of selection (where 25% or more of state-funded secondary places are in state-funded selective schools). These local authorities are Bexley, Buckinghamshire, Kent, Lincolnshire, Medway, Slough, Southend-on-Sea, Sutton, Torbay, Trafford and Wirral.
40. Disadvantaged all other includes pupils for whom free school meal eligibility, Special Educational Needs status (SEN provision) or SEN primary need could not be determined.
41. State-funded mainstream schools include academies, free schools, city technology colleges and further education colleges with provision for 14- to 16-year-olds. They exclude state-funded special schools, independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools and alternative provision (including pupil referral units, AP free schools and AP academies as well as state-funded AP placements in other institutions). Further education colleges with 14-16 provision are included in the total figure for all state-funded schools but not in the breakdowns by religious character or school admissions; therefore, figures by religious character or school admissions will not add up to the figure for all state-funded mainstream schools.
42. Includes entries and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years.
43. EBacc entry and Attainment are shown as the percentage of pupils at the end of key stage 4. Ebacc thresholds are included for transparency and comparability. Prior to 2015/16, where the English language and English literature option was chosen in EBacc English, exams in both had to be taken and a C grade or above achieved in English language. In 2015/16, to meet the English requirement of the EBacc, exams in both had to be taken and a C grade or above achieved in either English language or English literature. In 2016/17, the definition of 'percentage achieving the English Baccalaureate' has changed to 'the proportion of pupils achieving the Ebacc which included a grade 5 or above in English and mathematics, and grade C or above in unreformed subjects' following the introduction of the reformed 9 to 1 GCSEs in English and mathematics. The 9-4 grade shows pupils who achieved a grade 4 or above in English and mathematics, and a grade C in unreformed subjects. In 2017/18, EBacc APS provides the headline EBacc measure but the 9-5 EBacc threshold is the proportion of pupils achieving the Ebacc which included a grade 5 or above in reformed subjects, and grade C or above in unreformed subjects. Most of the Ebacc subjects were reformed in 2017/18 and so caution should be taken in comparing to 2016/17 with only reformed English and maths. For the 9-4 EBacc threshold is the proportion of pupils achieving the Ebacc which included a grade 4 or above in reformed subjects, and grade C or above in unreformed subjects.
44. : = When data is unavailable for other reasons
45. The Secondary accountability measures guidance can be found alongside the KS4 data and metadata files under 'Download associated files'.
46. No identified SEN' includes pupils whom could not not obtained, refused, unclassified or could not be determined.
47. Percentage of pupils achieving grades 5 or above in English and mathematics measures are calculated as a percentage of all pupils at the end of key stage 4. Prior to 2015/16, where the English language and English literature option was chosen in English, exams in both had to be taken and a C grade or above achieved in English language. From 2015/16, to meet the English requirement of the A*-C in English and maths Attainment measure, a C in either English language or English literature counted and there was no requirement to take both. From 2017, following the introduction of the reformed 9 to 1 GCSEs in English, a grade 5 or above in either English language or English literature counts and there remains no requirement to take both. The 9-4 measure shows pupils who achieved a grade 4 or above in either English language or English literature and maths and is shown alongside the headline measure for transparency and comparability.
48. Attainment 8 and Progress 8 are part of the secondary accountability system that was implemented for all schools from 2016. Attainment 8 measures pupils’ Attainment across 8 qualifications including maths, English, three ebacc qualifications and three further GCSE or non-GCSE qualifications. From 2018, Attainment 8 had a maximum point score of 90, compared to a maximum of 87 in 2017 and 80 in 2016. This helped to minimise fluctuations in the average Attainment 8 scores following the phased introduction of 9-1 reformed GCSEs. These differences should be considered when comparing Attainment 8 scores between 2016-2019. In 2020, the majority of Attainment 8 scores are based on qualifications that were awarded via centre assessment grades rather than exams, so they are likely to be higher due to this and are not comparable to previous years.
49. Figures not present in the data means there are no pupils at the end of key stage 4 for this breakdown.
50. State-funded special schools include local authority maintained special schools, academy sponsor led special schools, academy special schools and special free schools. They exclude independent special schools and non-maintained special schools.
51. Since September 2013, general further education (FE) colleges and sixth-form colleges have been able to directly enrol 14- to 16-year-olds. Entries and achievements for these pupils are included in figures as state-funded schools. As FE colleges do not complete the school census, pupils at the end of key stage 4 attending FE colleges are included in the all pupils lines but not in the majority of the characteristics breakdowns. Therefore, there are some cases where the individual characteristics breakdowns will not add up to the all pupils figure. Pupils in FE colleges are included in the free school meals and disadvantaged figures from 2015/16 onwards.
52. In 2013/14, two major reforms were implemented which affect the calculation of key stage 4 performance measures data: 1) Professor Alison Wolf’s Review of Vocational Education recommendations which: restrict the qualifications counted; prevent any qualification from counting as larger than one GCSE; and cap the number of non-GCSEs included in performance measures at two per pupil, and 2) an early entry policy to only count a pupil’s first attempt at a qualification, in subjects counted in the English Baccalaureate.
53. All independent schools include non-maintained special schools, independent special schools and independent schools.
54. Includes pupils for whom free school meal eligibility could not be determined. This figure also includes pupils at further education colleges: as FE colleges do not complete the school census, we do not have matched pupil characteristics data of pupils in FE colleges and therefore these pupils are not included in characteristics breakdowns. This means that there are some cases where the individual characteristics breakdowns will not add up to the all pupils figure. Pupils in FE colleges are included in the free school meals figures from 2015/16 onwards.
55. All State-funded schools include local authority maintained mainstream schools, academies, free schools, city technology colleges, further education colleges with provision for 14 to 16 year-olds and state-funded special schools. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision. Alternative provision includes academy and free school alternative provision.
56. Religious character is taken from the GIAS (Get information about schools) website and is the legal designation of each school. Any state-funded mainstream schools who do not have their religious character recorded on the GIAS website are recorded in 'no religious character'. This list of religious characters is complete for 2019 data. Religious character is taken from GIAS and are given as at 12 September at the start of the academic year, and is the legal designation of each school.
57. Selective schools admit pupils wholly or mainly with reference to ability. These schools are formally designated as grammar schools.

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