Published Secondary Value Added Tables may be misleading

It has been brought to my notice that the newly published value added tables for KS2 to KS4 and KS3 to KS4 are slightly misleading. The national average in each case is believed to be 1000, but in actual fact, for maintained schools, it is 985.8 for KS2 to KS4, and 990.6 for KS3 to KS4.

This puts the LEA figure of 989.2 for KS2 to KS4 above the national average, and 988.2 for KS3 to KS4 only just below the national average. You may find that your school, if below 1000, is actually above the national average.

There are two links above:

• The first link takes you to the performance tables. To reach the value added tables, select the 2004 GCSE tables, then type "Norfolk" in the LEA name box and click "Institute Search", then click on Norfolk, then select one of the Value Added tables in the fourth line down.
• The second link takes you to the DfES First Statistical Release headed "GCSE and Equivalent Results and Associated Value Added Measures for Young People in England 2003/04 (Revised)". If you go into the latter, click on the "PDF" option and scroll down to the third page, the actual national figures are provided there.

I hope you find this information helpful.

As ever, if you wish to discuss this or any other aspect of performance data analysis, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Mrs Chris Jackson
Deputy Head of Management Information Centre
Tel. 01603 224223