Value added methods

							Value added methods
Method              How it works                                            Strengths                  Weaknesses (other            How useful is for
                                                                                                       than ignoring gender)        Islington?
                    Divides pupils at KS1, KS2 and KS3 into groups
                    according to APS and then shows what % of each          Subject specific. Much
     QCA                                                                                               Numbers become very
                    group achieving particular levels or grades in          more finely calibrated                                  Makes GCSE VA for pupils
   method 1-                                                                                           small when attempting
                    subjects at KS2, KS3 and GCSE. Also looks at            than, say, KS3 strategy                                 with EAL look very good.
progress charts                                                                                        breakdown by ethnicity.
                    progress from KS2 & KS3 APS to no of A*-C               approach.
                    grades and GCSE APS.
      QCA           Plots individual pupils on a scattergraph. The x
                                                                            Makes quick visual         Some technical
 method 2- pupil    axis shows prior attainment (in the form of APS)
                                                                            evaluation of              difficulties with            Helps to bring urgency ay
    average         and the y axis current attainment in the form of test
                                                                            achievement in relation    translating into borough     school level.
compared with all   marks. Lines on the graph show national median,
                                                                            to national VA possible.   wide VA.
 England median     lower and upper quartiles.
                    Compares pupils’ APS at KS1 with their APS at
                    KS2 (and KS2-3 and KS3-GCSE) by calculating                                        A complex methodology
                                                                            Looks simple. Can also                                  KS2-3 discriminates in
DfES VA league      difference from national median for similar prior                                  with several stages. Not
                                                                            differentiate by gender,                                favour of areas with very
 table method       attainment, giving an overall figure which is better                               subject specific. Are all
                                                                            ethnicity etc.                                          high KS2 attainment.
                    than national performance of more than 100 and                                     GCSEs of equal value?
                    worse if below.
                                                                                                       Range within levels at
 The unofficial                                                             Very simple to grasp.      KS2 can be vast (e.g,        Helps to bring urgency at
                    Calculates proportion of level 3s and 4s achieving
 KS3 Strategy                                                               Highlights threshold       level 4 is 49-68 marks),     school level where we are a
                    level 5 and compares to national average.
    KS2-3                                                                   failures.                  so progress will be          long way from floor targets.
                                                                                                       different.
                                                                                                       Doesn’t take account of
                    Allocates each school to a group on the basis of        Finely calibrated to       pupils not in UK for prior
  Ofsted prior      APS at KS1, 2 & 3. Then compares KS2, 3 and             compare progress on        attainment
                                                                                                                                    Not very fair.
  attainment        GCSE APS within the allocated group, leading to a       the basis of prior         measurement. Assumes
                    grade (A* is excellent and E* very poor)                attainment.                no regional variation in
                                                                                                       attendance issues.
                                                                                                                                    In 2002 30% of pupils in
                                                                                                       FSM is proxy for poverty
                    Allocates each school to a group on the basis of                                                                21-35% band schools in
                                                                            Takes some account of      and not always accurate.
   Ofsted free      percentage of pupils with FSM. Then compares                                                                    county authorities got 5 A*-
                                                                            socio-economic             High FSM bands too
  school meals      attainment within FSM bands leading to a grade                                                                  C grades. The comparative
                                                                            circumstance.              wide (top two are 50%+
                    (A* is excellent and E* very poor)                                                                              figure in Inner London was
                                                                                                       and 35-50%).
                                                                                                                                    47%.