Issue - meetings
EXTERNAL EXAMINATIONS AND TEACHER ASSESSMENTS 2010/20112
Meeting: 10/01/2013 - Performance Scrutiny Committee (Item 6)
6 KS4 EXAMINATION RESULTS PDF 111 KB
To consider a report by the School Effectiveness Performance Officer: Secondary (copy attached) 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.
10.10 a.m.
Minutes:
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