A recent survey says that parents don’t find performance tables especially helpful: “Fewer than a third of parents check league tables when choosing schools for their children, suggests a UK-wide survey for a teaching union.” (BBC, 09.01.15). However, we find lots of parents and prospective parents are interested to know how we’re doing and do check out the league tables which the Department for Education publish each Autumn term.
They are very detailed, covering such aspects of performance as pupil progress and attainment, attendance, three year averages and how disadvantaged pupils (those in receipt of pupil premium) perform – they even cover finance and workforce characteristics. We find it’s best to start by looking at just primary schools and Leeds.
Here’s an overview of learning in 2013-14 for Moortown Primary compared to the 62 other primary schools (or those which include primary pupils) in a three mile radius, based on 2014 Key Stage 2 results.
- the proportion of pupils reaching Level 4 or more in reading, writing and maths combined is 93% – joint 4th of schools in a three mile radius and 14 percentage points higher than nationally (79%)
- the proportion reaching Level 4B (a mid Level 4, which the current government describes as a level indicating a pupil is ‘secondary ready’) or more in reading, writing and maths combined is 93% – joint 2nd and significantly higher than national (67%)
- 100% made expected progress in reading, writing and maths – one of only seven schools in a three mile radius to achieve this and about 10 percentage points higher than for England as a whole
- the average level for our pupils was a 5C, which matches quite a few schools in Leeds, but only two schools had a higher level (5B)
- 57% of pupils attained a Level 5 in reading, writing and maths combined – 3rd in a three mile radius and 4th highest across all 255 primaries Leeds
Well done to the 2013-14 Year 6 class (and their parents), to Mr Owen, Mrs Raseta and to all the previous teachers who have supported the class.
Looking at results for just one year group is only a snapshot. The league tables also allow you to look at three year averages:
- the proportion reaching Level 4 or more in reading, writing and maths combined is 93% – with just ten schools across the local authority’s 255 primary ahead of us (the average in England is 76%)
- for disadvantaged pupils (those in receipt of pupil premium funding), our performance is even better: proportion reaching Level 4 or more in reading, writing and maths combined is 94% – this is 5th in the local authority (average in England is 64%)
- this shows the difference between disadvantaged pupils and others is just 1% – nationally, the ‘gap’ is 17% and in the local authority it’s 20% – indicating that we invest pupil premium money very effectively
If you’d like to know more about how we’re doing, please ask… and equally, please ask if you want more information about how your child is performing.