Issue - meetings

A copy of a report by the School Effectiveness Performance Officer: Secondary, which verified performance of Denbighshire schools’ external examinations results at Key Stage 4 and post 16, and provided an analysis of results against benchmarked information and performance against other local authorities, had been circulated with the papers for the meeting.

The School Effectiveness Performance Officer: Secondary (SEPO:S) introduced the report which provided information regarding the performance of Denbighshire schools teacher assessments and external examinations.  All key indicators at KS 4 for external qualifications had improved during the year to be top ten performing in Wales. There had been significant improvement in all indicators since 2010, particularly the Level 2 Threshold and Level 2 including English, Welsh and Mathematics.  A summary of Assessment and Examinations Rankings had been included in the report.

It was explained that the key performance indicator at the end of key stage 4 was the Level 2 Threshold including English, Welsh and Mathematics.  Details of the percentage of pupils achieving the Level 2, and individual school performance, had been included in the Report.  The Level 2 Threshold indicated the number of pupils gaining 5 GCSE A*-C’s or vocational equivalents, and this replaced the 5A*- C indicator used in previous years.  The percentage of pupils achieving the Level 2 Threshold was 83%, which had been 10% higher than the previous year.  This had been the fourth year that the Level 2 indicator had increased in Denbighshire high schools and placed Denbighshire first in Wales in 2012, and this had been a significant improvement moving from eighteenth in 2010.  The HE highlighted the importance of focusing on the improvements achieved with regard to the Level 2 Threshold, particular reference was made to the pupil attainment profile, the success achieved in special schools and the improvement in realised in Rhyl Schools.  She emphasised that it would be important not to become complacent in order to ensure that the improvement levels were sustained.

The SEPO:S confirmed that all schools had improved this year with Blessed Edward Jones and Rhyl High School achieving the highest increases of 22% and 25% respectively for the Level 2 Threshold.  In addition Prestatyn High (91.%), Ysgol Dinas Bran (98.%), Ysgol Glan Clwyd (91%) and St.Brigid’s (96%) had all achieved over 90% for the Level 2 Threshold.  Ten pupils (0.8%) had left school without a recognised qualification in 2012 and this had placed Denbighshire eighteenth in Wales.  Details of the examination result achievements of pupils from Ysgol Plas Brondryffyn and Ysgol Tir Morfa had been highlighted in the report.

Welsh Government had utilised Banding as a way of using national data on school performance in context to group schools according to where they were on their improvement journey relative to other schools in Wales.  Band 1 schools indicated good overall performance and progress, and those in band 5 showed weak performance and progress relative to other schools.  The banding profile of schools in Denbighshire in 2012 had improved and all schools were in Band 2 except for Ysgol Dinas Bran, who remained in Band 1, and Denbigh High School who had improved from band 4 to Band 3.

The performance indicator for post 16 was the Level 3 Threshold, which equated to 2 A levels or vocational equivalents, and results at Post 16 had largely remained static. 

The percentage of candidates achieving the Level 3 Threshold had improved by 3% to 99% in 2012 and this was above the Welsh average of 97%.  The Average wider points score had improved to 694 in 2012 but this was below the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6