All references to specific years for the key social care groups in this section relate to the time point as at 31 March.
The 2021/22 academic year saw the return of the summer examination series, after they had been cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, where alternative processes were set up to award grades (centre assessment grades, known as CAGs, and teacher assessed grades, known as TAGs).
The changes to the way GCSE grades were awarded over these two years mean 2021/22 pupil attainment data should not be directly compared to pupil attainment data from previous years for the purposes of measuring year on year changes in pupil performance. As part of the transition back to the summer examination series adaptations were made to the examinations (including advance information) and the approach to grading for 2022 examinations broadly reflected a midpoint between results in 2019 and 2021.
For more information see the Key Stage 4 performance statistics release for the academic year 2021/22.
Summary
Pupils in the key social care groups perform less well than their peers across all Key Stage 4 measures. However, children looked after and children in need reaching the end of Key Stage 4 are much more likely to have a special educational need (SEN) than the overall pupil population. Pupils with SEN have been recorded to have lower average attainment compared to the overall population. As such, the higher prevalence of SEN amongst children looked after and children in need accounts for part of the difference in attainment compared to the overall pupil population.
Attainment 8
Attainment 8 measures the average achievement of pupils in up to 8 qualifications. This includes: English (double weighted if both English language and English literature are sat); mathematics (double weighted); three further qualifications that count in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc); and three further qualifications that can be GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or any other non-GCSE qualification on the DfE approved list (opens in a new tab).
From 2018, for pupils who take GCSEs only, Attainment 8 had a maximum point score of 90, compared to a maximum of 87 in 2017 and 80 in 2016. This is a consequence of the phased introduction of reformed GCSEs graded on the 9-1 scale. These differences should be considered when comparing Attainment 8 scores before 2019.
The average Attainment 8 score has decreased slightly for all pupils and across all the key social care groups compared to 2020/21 but increased in comparison with 2018/19. This is generally what we would expect given Ofqual's approach to grading for 2022 which broadly reflected a midpoint between results in 2019 and 2021.
As in previous years, the average Attainment 8 scores in 2021/22 for all the key social care groups were broadly less than half that compared to the overall pupil population. The attainment of pupils across most of the key social care groups was broadly similar, with the exception of lower attainment for CLA for less than 12 months.
Attainment 8 by SEN
Children in the key social care groups perform less well than their peers across all Key Stage 4 measures. However, looked after children and children in need reaching the end of Key Stage 4 are much more likely to have a special educational need (SEN) than all children. Children with SEN have been recorded to have lower average attainment compared to the overall population. So, whilst many factors are involved, this accounts for part of the difference between the overall pupil population and looked after children and children in need. This is demonstrated by the general reduction in the difference between the key social care groups and the overall pupil population average Attainment 8 scores when looking at the individual SEN categories, including no identified SEN.
Attainment 8 by ethnicity
As is the case for the overall pupil population, for most of the key social care groups, Asian or Asian British children (including Chinese children) have the highest average Attainment 8 scores. The exception to this is CLA for at least 12 months, where Black, African, Caribbean or Black British have the highest average score. In the overall population, and for pupils in CIN and CPPO groups, White pupils have the lowest average score, but for CLA, pupils from other ethnic groups have the lowest average score.
Attainment in English and mathematics (grades 5 or above)
This measure looks at the percentage of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in both English and mathematics GCSEs. To count for this measure a pupil would have to achieve a grade 5 or above in either English literature or English language. There is no requirement to sit both.
The percentage of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in both English and mathematics GCSEs has decreased slightly across all the key social care groups with the exception of CLA for less than 12 months since 2020/21 but these comparisons should be treated with caution due to the cancellation of the examination season in 2021. The percentage of pupils from all social care groups achieving this standard has increased compared to 2018/19 when the previous GCSE examinations were taken.
The attainment of pupils across most of the key social care groups was broadly similar, with the exception of lower attainment for CLA for less than 12 months. CINO at 31 March were slightly more likely to have achieved a grade 5 or above in both English and mathematics GCSEs (13.1%) than other key social care groups, including CLA for at least 12 months (11.0%).
The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) entry
The EBacc shows how many pupils are taking GCSEs (or AS level qualifications) in core academic subjects at Key Stage 4. The EBacc consists of English, mathematics, science, a language, and history or geography. To count in the EBacc, qualifications must be on the English Baccalaureate list of qualifications (opens in a new tab).
In 2020, this measure was less likely to have been affected by the cancellation of examinations as schools will have taken most of their entry decisions ahead of the COVID-19 disruption.
The percentage of pupils entering the English Baccalaureate has remained broadly stable for both the overall pupil population and those in key social care groups, whilst increasing slightly for CLA for less than 12 months.
EBacc average point score (EBacc APS)
The EBacc APS measures pupils' point scores across the five pillars of the EBacc - English, mathematics, science, a language, and history or geography - with a zero for any missing pillars. 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.
For more information on these measures and their calculation methodology, see the secondary accountability guidance (opens in a new tab).
The EBacc average point score has decreased across all the key social care groups and the overall pupil population since 2020/21 but has increased across all groups since the previous GCSE examination season in 2018/19. All the key social care groups have an average point score much less than half that of the overall pupil population.
Progress 8
Progress 8 aims to capture the progress a pupil makes from the end of Key Stage 2 to the end of Key Stage 4. It compares pupils' achievement - their Attainment 8 score - with the national average Attainment 8 score of all pupils who had a similar starting point (or ‘prior attainment’), calculated using assessment results from the end of primary school. Progress 8 is a relative measure, therefore the national average Progress 8 score for all pupils is very close to zero. It can be used to compare the progress of different pupil characteristics.
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.
The average Progress 8 score is lower for all key social care groups than for the overall pupil population. CLA for at least 12 months perform better than children in other key social care groups and CLA for less than 12 months have the lowest average Progress 8 score of all social care groups.
