This is the latest article from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Ed
A culture of “gaming the statistics” at GCSE has been accused of disadvantaging less academically-able students.
A report presented to the Isle of Wight Council’s Policy and Scrutiny Committee for Children’s Services on Thursday last week (15th March), showed in a number of schools, that teachers were “focusing on trying to maximise performance at the C or 4 threshold”.
This means teachers are targeting students close to the threshold, often to the detriment of less academically-able pupils.
“Every grade counts”
However, new measurements, Attainment 8 and Progress 8, are based on a system where “every grade counts”.
Instead of individual grades, progress is measured against the progress of other pupils nationally.
Under the system, the Isle of Wight had an A8 score of between -0.33 and -0.30 below the national average — meaning students on the Island did not make as much progress as other students nationally.
Although achievement in both English and maths increased this year, it has still remained below the national average.
Maximise performance at higher grades
County education manager for school improvement, David Hardcastle, said results over recent years had been erratic, because schools had not built on the success of previous years.
He said:
“In some schools, improvements have not been embedded and performance has slid back.”
Mr Hardcastle said schools needed to focus on maximising performance at higher grades and reduce the proportion of students at the lower end to improve their A8 and P8 measures.
