Announcement from DfE on reforming the accountability systems for 14- to 16-year-olds in secondary schools
On 14 October 2013, the government responded to the consultation on reforming the accountability system for secondary schools.
Read the full report from the Department for Education
In its statement, the government proposed that the new system will apply for KS4 results from summer 2016 (that is, for students starting Y10 in September 2014), although schools can opt in to the new system for the summer 2015 results (students who started Y10 in September 2013).
All schools will be required to publish core information on their website in a standard format. There will be four key measures that must be published:
- Pupils’ progress across eight subject areas
- The average grade that a pupil achieves in these same ‘best 8’ subjects
- The percentage of pupils achieving a C grade in English and maths
- The percentage of pupils gaining the EBacc.
There will be a new ‘progress measure’ to replace the 5 A*-C measure. This will enable schools to get credit where pupils outperform their grade expectations.
Pupils’ progress and attainment will be assessed in eight subjects: English and mathematics, three further EBacc subjects, and three other high-value qualifications.
Achievement in mathematics will be double-weighted within the eight subject areas. Achievement in English language will also be double-weighted if the pupil has also been entered for English literature.
There will be a new ‘floor standard’. A school will fall below the floor standard if pupils make an average of half a grade less progress than expected across their eight subjects.