School Data Updates

This is fourth part in a series of five blog posts for primary governors. Part 1 covered statutory assessment, part 2 dealt with sources of data, and part 3 explained the progress measures. Here, we will look at the headline measures governors need to be aware of. Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR) Areas to investigateThis is an important place to start. […]

Following the release of further details on the proposed reception baseline and future progress measures this week, and the inevitable battle for the soul of primary education already in full swing, I find myself distracted by the possible mechanics of these measures, specifically what will happen to those pupils that change schools. The issue of measuring the progress of […]

The key stage 1-2 (KS1-2) progress measure is a value added (VA) measure, and this is nothing new. We have had VA measures for years, both at KS2 and at KS4. But previously these VA measures – which took up pages of the old RAISE reports – played second fiddle to the levels of progress […]

In part 1 we dealt with statutory assessment – the data that the DfE collects from primary schools. In part 2 we’re going to look at the main sources of data that governors should be aware of: the key reports, when they’re made available, who has access, and what they contain. Here we will focus on four […]

Data is a minefield. It’s hard enough for head teachers and senior leaders to find their way through it all, but for many  governors it is a minefield in a swamp, with ditches filled with spikes, and pits of burning tar. And crocodiles.  It is vital that governors have a sound working knowledge of school […]

Accountability is a dark, inescapable labyrinth of tunnels. No matter how bright the torch, fear always lurks in the shadows and the walls press close. At the labyrinth’s heart is a monster – the Minotaur – but not one with the body of a man and the head of a bull. This monster is a […]

Despite my best efforts to convince people of the futility of the exercise, probably the most common question I get asked is: “How do I show progress?”  Why is this futile? Because what they are really asking is: “How do I use data to ‘prove’ that pupils have made ‘good’ progress?” The reason for the […]

I recently read an Ofsted report for a school judged inadequate and placed into special measures. The report contained the following statement in the ‘outcomes for pupils’ section:  The school met the government’s definition of a coasting school in 2016 and looks likely to do so again in 2017.  Although the school has not been […]

One of the frustrations of ASP is the use of different national comparators for the various pupil groups. The comparator is shown in the national column in the data tables, accessed by clicking the ‘explore data in detail’ link anywhere in the ASP system, and the comparator type can be found by clicking on the […]

As promised, here is my template that attempts to summarise IDSR and FFT data into 3-4 pages. Obviously you’ll need your IDSR and FFT dashboards, and probably a spare couple of hours. Rather than write a lengthy blog on how to complete it, I’ve supplied an example (see links below). Difference no. pupils is provided […]