tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/school-league-tables-11998/articlesSchool league tables – The Conversation2023-04-18T10:51:34Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2032902023-04-18T10:51:34Z2023-04-18T10:51:34ZOfsted inspections cause teachers stress and aren’t backed up by strong evidence – things could be done differently<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519640/original/file-20230405-22-7gsw5h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C18%2C6193%2C4104&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-tired-female-professor-having-headache-1950069691">Tijana Simic/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The school inspectorate in England, Ofsted, has faced criticism recently following the death of headteacher Ruth Perry. According to her family, Perry’s death was a “direct result” of the pressure resulting from the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/mar/21/ruth-perry-ofsted-regime-fatally-flawed-says-family-of-headteacher-who-killed-herself#:%7E:text=Pressure%20is%20mounting%20on%20Ofsted,%E2%80%9D%20and%20%E2%80%9Cfatally%20flawed%E2%80%9D.">Ofsted inspection process</a> which resulted in her school being judged as “inadequate”. </p>
<p>This has sparked debate about whether the current Ofsted framework should be changed. Ofsted chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, <a href="https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-rejects-calls-to-halt-inspections-after-week-of-turmoil/">rejected calls</a> to halt inspections. But the Ofsted inspection system does not have to work in the way it currently does. There isn’t strong evidence to back up the Ofsted model – and our research shows that there are alternative systems. </p>
<p>The current schools’ watchdog Ofsted was created in 1992. Since then, Ofsted has undergone changes to its framework, but a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03054985.2014.911726">key mechanism</a> Ofsted has consistently used to raise standards is that of punishment and reward. </p>
<p>As part of this system, school inspection grades are awarded and made public and inspection reports are made public. Sanctions can be recommended that could lead to school closures. As part of the accountability system, league tables of examination results are made public in England. </p>
<p>This can be stressful for teachers and senior managers. The aim is a marketised system, in which parents choose to send their children to the good schools and avoid the bad schools. This is intended to lead to good schools thriving and bad ones dwindling.</p>
<h2>Other options</h2>
<p>We took part in a <a href="https://easy.dans.knaw.nl/ui/datasets/id/easy-dataset:58260/tab/1;jsessionid=FA503B54CAE43294DD04405B90FC8420">cross-European study</a> which ran between 2011 and 2014 and looked at how school inspections were carried out in this period in the Netherlands, Sweden, England, Ireland, Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland.</p>
<p>Results from <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09243453.2014.927369">this study</a> showed that inspectorates in Ireland, Austria and Switzerland did not make use of sanctions as a mechanism to improve standards. </p>
<p>Inspectorates in Sweden, Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland did not make inspection reports public. The systems in Sweden, Austria, Ireland and much of Switzerland did not publish outcomes of examination results, and these countries did not have thresholds for judging schools as failing or not. In contrast, England uses every one of these characteristics.</p>
<p>While this research concluded some time ago, Ofsted remains a particularly pressurised inspection system, and other countries continue to do things differently.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Pupils sitting an exam" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519650/original/file-20230405-14-avl1ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519650/original/file-20230405-14-avl1ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519650/original/file-20230405-14-avl1ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519650/original/file-20230405-14-avl1ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519650/original/file-20230405-14-avl1ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519650/original/file-20230405-14-avl1ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519650/original/file-20230405-14-avl1ax.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Examination results are made public in England.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teachers-supervising-middle-school-students-taking-1873346491">Juice Flair/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>To consider another example, Finland is widely considered to have one of the <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/09/10-reasons-why-finlands-education-system-is-the-best-in-the-world">best education systems</a> in the world and has <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/314106826_How_Do_Finns_Know_Educational_Monitoring_without_Inspection_and_Standard_Setting">no inspection system</a> and <a href="https://www.educationcorner.com/finland-education-system/">no league tables</a>. </p>
<p>What’s more, there isn’t clear evidence that Ofsted raises standards in terms of educational achievement. The <a href="https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/ofsteds-inspection-of-schools/">National Audit Office</a> has questioned whether Ofsted can provide value for money until it has more evidence on its impact.</p>
<p>Research carried out since the 1990s has attempted to measure the impact of Ofsted on GCSE attainment using varying levels of sophistication. Findings are <a href="https://dro.dur.ac.uk/12184/">mixed and inconclusive</a>. Some show positive impacts, while a number have found Ofsted had a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272775703000815">negative effect</a> on GCSE results following inspection. </p>
<p>In fact, it’s not clear that systems, such as Ofsted, which are intended to improve educational standards have any significant benefit. A <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03054985.2020.1781608">research study</a> published in 2020 looked at student test scores to assess the impact of educational reforms on student achievement. The study argues that educational standards in affluent countries such as England are actually stable over time – and not affected significantly by improvement strategies or reforms. </p>
<h2>Side effects</h2>
<p>Even if there was clear evidence on the impact of highly pressurised systems in raising standards, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03054985.2017.1352499?journalCode=core20">our research</a> showed pressurised school inspections can lead to unintended side effects. These include a narrowing of the curriculum to focus on what the inspection system considers important, and an increase in “teaching to the test” strategies. </p>
<p>England continues to face a crisis in teacher <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2023/feb/24/labour-says-government-has-created-perfect-storm-in-englands-teaching-workforce">recruitment and retention</a>, while many teachers <a href="https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/ofsted-made-quit-teachers-pressure-inspections-2217967">have spoken</a> of leaving the profession as a result of the pressure created by Ofsted inspections. </p>
<p>We should question whether these pressurised inspection mechanisms should be used without first thoroughly investigating their impact on the wellbeing of teachers and school managers. </p>
<p>There is no reason why Ofsted could not change the high-stakes nature of inspections – in particular elements such as the delivery of inspection grades. Inspections could still go ahead, including in areas such as safeguarding, just without the pressurised aspects that may cause more harm than good.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203290/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karen Jones receives funding from the European Commission (Lifelong Learning). She is affiliated with the University and Colleges Union (UCU). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span><a href="mailto:joe.ohara@dcu.ie">joe.ohara@dcu.ie</a> receives funding from EU Erasmus + Programme . </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Martin Brown does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Research found that inspectorates in Sweden, Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland did not make inspection reports public.Karen Jones, Assistant Professor in the School of Education, Durham UniversityJoe O'Hara, Professor of Education, Dublin City UniversityMartin Brown, Head of School of Policy and Practice, Co-Director: EQI The Centre for Evaluation Quality and Inspection, DCU Institute of Education, Ireland, Dublin City UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1073762019-01-24T16:11:25Z2019-01-24T16:11:25ZToo many children with autism are let down by schools and end up in prison<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254081/original/file-20190116-163283-wxbsve.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For many young people, school can be a difficult place. And for some, it can be just about impossible. Negative experiences in school can have harmful long-term effects on pupils with autism spectrum conditions. </p>
<p>Official figures show that children, are increasingly being suspended or expelled from school because of “behavioural problems” – many of which include children on the autism spectrum. Some regions in the UK have experienced a <a href="https://www.tes.com/news/exclusions-autistic-pupils-60-cent">100% increase</a> in these types of exclusions since 2011.</p>
<p>So despite policy rhetoric on “<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13603116.2012.727476">inclusive education</a>” – where children <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25">ought to be educated in mainstream schools</a> – recent figures show school exclusions are increasing: <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/726741/text_exc1617.pdf">from 6,685 pupils to 7,720</a> between 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. </p>
<p>In my <a href="https://www.bradford.ac.uk/social-sciences/staff-profiles/social-sciences-and-criminal-justice/chrissie-rogers.php">current research</a> I interviewed <a href="http://oxfordre.com/education/search?siteToSearch=education&q=chrissie+rogers&searchBtn=Search&isQuickSearch=true">mothers of adult children with autism</a> and other social, emotional and mental health problems. They told me how their young sons had been a challenge in school. And how despite their requests for help, their sons received little support and ended up in the criminal justice system. </p>
<p>Estimates suggest that <a href="https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/sites/default/files/criminal-justice-system.pdf">30% of prisoners have a learning difficulty</a> or disability and 60% have problems with communication – though this is arguably a conservative estimate, as many inmates choose to hide their disabling condition.</p>
<h2>No help or support</h2>
<p>Mothers in my research talked to me about how their sons were “different”. They were violent to other children and teachers as well as their own families. </p>
<p>All the mothers told me they felt something was “not quite right” with their child. And because the support was not forthcoming at school, this negative behaviour escalated and then as these boys got older, they ended up in prison. </p>
<p>One mum, Sorcha, told me her son “was made out to be the demon child of the school. He had his first exclusion in September 2004, so he was about 10 then”. Another mum, Elaine, spoke of her son Harry: “He was a difficult child for school, he’s disruptive [and] was getting into so much trouble.” </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254335/original/file-20190117-32834-1qansv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/254335/original/file-20190117-32834-1qansv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254335/original/file-20190117-32834-1qansv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254335/original/file-20190117-32834-1qansv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254335/original/file-20190117-32834-1qansv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254335/original/file-20190117-32834-1qansv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/254335/original/file-20190117-32834-1qansv7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=451&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Many schools are failing to meet the needs of autistic children.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>Udele, explained how she had received a call from the headmistress, to fetch her son after he assaulted a teacher. “I went, you’d better call the police then. He was 10”. </p>
<h2>Failed by the system</h2>
<p>But a lack of support was not just isolated to the families. One senior teacher who works in a “special school” explained how hard it is to help. She said that the combination of puberty and autism can make things very difficult:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>At the age of 14 there’s so much going on for them. One boy got bad grades and didn’t know what to do. He got involved with another pupil who had been excluded and was waving a knife – he got arrested. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The mothers also spoke to me about their experiences of the criminal justice system. Trudy explained how, when her son was on remand, she “felt squeezed from both sides”. She said: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>My instincts were telling me that my son was getting worse and that we needed help and the professionals were telling me he was fine. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>Another mother, Elaine, told me how she was “totally broken”:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I just feel like I’m standing on the edge of the cliff and I don’t know if I’m going to fall. It’s scary. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>The mothers in my research all spoke of the overwhelming challenges of dealing with their child’s disability while moving through the bureaucracy and barriers if the school and criminal justice systems. </p>
<p>They spoke of a lack of support, lack of access to professional help and an overwhelming lack of understanding about their son’s disability, and the impact this had on their lives.</p>
<h2>The problem with education</h2>
<p>Under the current UK education system – where everything is based on grades and targets – there is little room for children who disrupt the smooth running of the school. These children are all-too often excluded and made to feel that they are worthless – as one teacher explained:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>One kid wanted to go back into mainstream [school], but by the time he was 15, he realised this wasn’t going to happen – he ended up in prison. </p>
</blockquote>
<p>For as long as education focuses solely on academic achievement and continues to demand results rather than learning, children and their families will continue to be failed by the system. And, as my research shows, once a criminal pathway is trodden, it is incredibly difficult to find a way out. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/britains-criminal-justice-system-doesnt-know-what-to-do-about-autism-68996">Britain's criminal justice system doesn't know what to do about autism</a>
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<p>This means those who need support the most often end up incarcerated. Both Elaine and Udele’s sons (still now only in their 20s), were in “special schools” and continue to be in and out of the criminal justice system. I interviewed Elaine three times and her son Harry, once. Between her interviews, Harry returned to prison. </p>
<h2>Rethinking learning</h2>
<p>If more support and intervention in the education system was to occur before the police got involved, then these young people would be less likely to end up incarcerated and at the bottom of a human hierarchy. </p>
<p>But for this to happen, there needs to be a <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-ideal-school-would-put-childrens-development-before-league-tables-102418">rethink of what education is actually about</a>. Because it is clear that the restrictive and damaging nature of the current system just doesn’t work for some pupils. </p>
<p>If instead, <a href="https://theconversation.com/survey-state-school-teachers-say-much-of-their-work-is-meaningless-95803">schools could help children to learn creatively</a> and open up their minds to new possibilities outside of tests and league tables, then it is likely that more children would stand a better chance of staying out of the criminal justice system and reaching their full potential.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/107376/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christine Rogers received funding from The Leverhulme Trust.</span></em></p>Britain’s education system doesn’t know what to do about children with autism.Chrissie Rogers, Professor of Sociology, University of BradfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1024182018-09-17T08:47:22Z2018-09-17T08:47:22ZThe ideal school would put children’s development before league tables<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/236215/original/file-20180913-177947-am8lmv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-school-kids-reading-education-600737564?src=E4POyVobwrHcIGrac0jOuw-1-39">Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/north-south-divide-in-schools-is-real-and-its-more-complex-than-you-think-96055">League tables</a> can make or break a school. So it’s no surprise that the majority of educational priorities are aligned with academic excellence – often to the exclusion of everything else. Creativity, empathy, imagination, critical thinking and a sense of worth cannot easily be measured, so don’t count in the statistics of how well a school is doing. </p>
<p>But this is a time when <a href="https://theconversation.com/schools-need-to-teach-pupils-skills-to-maintain-good-mental-health-heres-how-95885">mental health among young people</a> is deteriorating. The rising number of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/jul/19/sharp-rise-in-pupil-exclusions-from-english-state-schools">school exclusions</a> also suggests schools are not catering for the needs of children who challenge their reputation for “excellence”.</p>
<p>Education policies appear to be contributing to the current crisis which sees anxiety and depression increasing at an alarming rate. Many <a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-has-made-school-children-more-fashion-conscious-than-ever-and-parents-are-footing-the-bill-102417">young people do not like themselves</a> or the world they are in. This is not surprising when children get the message that what matters most is high test scores and their greatest fear is not measuring up and being a “loser”. </p>
<p>But it doesn’t have to be like that. We need a different aspiration for education, one that fits with healthy child and adolescent development. Not only would all of this create more engaged pupils but there would also be fewer young people needing mental health intervention. </p>
<h2>The ideal education</h2>
<p>I believe it is possible to create an ideal school and classroom environment. Instead of league tables and Ofsted rankings, schools would be more aligned with the developmental milestones of children – rather than the desire to fill them full of facts and figures so they can pass <a href="https://theconversation.com/gcses-are-a-waste-of-time-an-education-expert-proposes-an-alternative-101647">the required tests</a>.</p>
<p>This would see schools focus on fostering a sense of belonging among all students. This is important, because for all children, feeling connected remains a powerful ingredient for well-being. This includes how pupils feel about being in school. </p>
<p>In one primary school where I was working, a child arrived on her first day behaving “like a wild animal”. She came from a family plagued by addictions, violence and neglect. The staff agreed they would give her the love and stability she needed. By the time she was 11, despite some wobbles, she had attained basic skills and formed positive relationships.</p>
<h2>Help them feel safe</h2>
<p>In order to develop well, children also need to feel safe: physically, emotionally and psychologically. When safety is compromised, children are <a href="https://academic.oup.com/her/article/13/3/383/677071">less likely to try anything new</a>. When those who don’t “fit” are labelled and bullied, pupils struggle with maintaining a positive self image – which affects their mental health, often into adulthood.</p>
<p>In the ideal school, children would be valued for their unique strengths and qualities. A system of personalised learning and personal bests would ensure that each pupil was in competition with themselves rather than others. </p>
<p>They also wouldn’t be constantly anxious about not being “good enough”. Society doesn’t need everyone to be doctors or merchant bankers, we need people to do a great job as a bus driver or hairdresser and be proud of what they do. </p>
<h2>Time for play and creativity</h2>
<p>There is now broad agreement about the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/21594937.2013.863440">importance of free play</a> for cognitive, language, social, physical and emotional development. Young people developing as nature intended are curious, creative, energetic and playful. Yet schools are regularly reducing the length of unstructured time children have throughout the day.</p>
<p>There has also been an outcry about <a href="https://theconversation.com/mental-health-crisis-in-teens-is-being-magnified-by-demise-of-creative-subjects-in-school-102383">cuts in the creative arts</a> in schools. This is not only inconsistent with optimal child and adolescent development but makes little sense where innovative thinking is linked to economic growth and the media industry is a major employer. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/236082/original/file-20180912-133874-435n18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/236082/original/file-20180912-133874-435n18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236082/original/file-20180912-133874-435n18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236082/original/file-20180912-133874-435n18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236082/original/file-20180912-133874-435n18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236082/original/file-20180912-133874-435n18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/236082/original/file-20180912-133874-435n18.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Let children use their imaginations outside the classroom.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mumbai-india-20-february-2017-unidentified-611728469?src=qc9ytwpvmZTSNtUaM0rz3Q-2-3">CRS PHOTO/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Sitting listening doesn’t make for <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2004.tb00809.x">optimal learning</a> – but is often how traditional classrooms are organised. Children are more likely to be engaged at school when learning is active and fun as well as challenging. Positive emotions open up cognitive pathways, and can help with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3156609/">problem solving and creativity</a>.</p>
<p>It makes sense, then, to create a learning environment that is a safe and enjoyable place. This would see lessons structured around guided discovery, collaborative experimentation and the application of knowledge. There would also be various activities on offer – from football to dancing to martial arts – to help children stay both physically and mentally healthy.</p>
<h2>Help children socialise</h2>
<p>Although the primary site for socialisation is the family, what happens at school continues this process. In my ideal school, socialisation and language would become part of the formal curriculum and include social and emotional learning, citizenship and ethics. This would see young people discuss and reflect on identity, values, rights, responsibilities, relationships and resilience. As children copy the behaviour around them, teachers would also be aware of the models they provide and the messages they give about what is important.</p>
<p>In my ideal school, mistakes would also be part of the learning process – allowing children to be more independent in their thinking and learn for themselves. Education would be less didactic and controlling. Giving children more choice and autonomy leads to higher self-esteem and stronger <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/record/1982-02134-001">intrinsic motivation</a>. Pupils would be given a voice, encouraged to think for themselves, and offered opportunities to develop self-reliance.</p>
<p>There are, of course, many schools doing their best for pupils, often under difficult circumstances. But it is clear that aligning education more with how children actually develop would not only improve engagement and academic attainment, but would also help pupils stay mentally healthy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/102418/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sue Roffey does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Imagining the ideal school.Sue Roffey, Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Education, University of ExeterLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1016472018-08-22T13:54:20Z2018-08-22T13:54:20ZGCSEs are a waste of time – an education expert proposes an alternative<p>Getting your GCSE results is a big day for most 16-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland – as well as for their parents and schools.</p>
<p>GCSEs have been a national rite of passage for the last 30 years. The first students <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/20/newsid_2516000/2516847.stm">sat GCSEs in 1988</a> when GCSEs replaced O levels and CSEs as the single school leaving age qualification. </p>
<p>When GCSEs were first introduced in the 1980s around half of 16-year-olds stayed on in education – whether A-levels or vocational education. And GCSEs served two purposes – preparation and entry to post-16 education, or for employers to use in recruiting 16-year-olds. </p>
<p>But since 2011, the school leaving age has been <a href="https://www.gov.uk/know-when-you-can-leave-school">effectively raised to 18</a> and nearly everyone stays on or goes into training courses with some sort of formal education aspects. So given this is there still a need for national high stakes exams at 16? </p>
<h2>A brief history of GCSEs</h2>
<p>Over the years GCSEs have changed a lot. After their initial introduction, lots of qualifications were introduced that were equivalent to GCSEs in school league tables and for entry to further study. Some of these counted as equivalent to more than one GCSE. But these were later outlawed because of concerns about schools “gaming” the system. </p>
<p>Coursework and practical work also used to be an essential part of GCSEs. In 2006, course work varied between 20% and 65% by subject in the most popular exams, with most students assessed in <a href="http://www2.ofqual.gov.uk/downloads/category/95-qualification-standards-reports?download=322%3Areview-of-gcse-coursework-2006">English literature through 100% coursework</a>. But coursework is largely a thing of the past. This has caused particular problems for subjects like science with <a href="http://www.gatsby.org.uk/uploads/education/reports/pdf/consultation-on-the-assessment-of-practical-work-in-gcse-science.pdf">practical skills now assessed in exams</a>.</p>
<p>Over the past couple of years, GCSEs have gone through a radical change. In many ways, it means that the old GCSEs are being replaced, even though the name isn’t. The most eye catching change has been the switch from grading by letters to numbers. Before A* was the highest and G the lowest grade. Now, <a href="https://ofqual.blog.gov.uk/2018/03/02/gcse-9-to-1-grades-a-brief-guide-for-parents/">grades go</a> from nine being the highest to grade one the lowest. Part of the reason for this is that exams have got harder, as governments try to push England, Wales and Northern Ireland up the <a href="https://theconversation.com/pisa-results-four-reasons-why-east-asia-continues-to-top-the-leaderboard-69951">PISA league tables</a>. </p>
<h2>Tackling grade inflation?</h2>
<p>But one of the other biggest changes to the GCSE is not so obvious. In the old GCSEs, each grade had a description of the sort of content and skills that students were supposed to know to achieve that grade. So the marks for each grade were decided by the examiners before the exams were taken. But in the new GCSE, the number of students who can achieve a particular grade is largely set in advance. And the number of marks needed is set after marking. </p>
<p>The percentage for each grade is influenced by the overall results the 16-year-old cohort achieved in national exams when they were 11. This is intended to address concerns with grade inflation – that is more students each year achieving higher grades. But there are all sorts of <a href="https://debrakidd.wordpress.com/2017/02/20/a-broken-system-progress-gcses-and-sats/">unintended consequences</a>.</p>
<p>It creates a zero sum game – where the only way a school can do better is if another school does worse. And it doesn’t allow for schools as a whole to get better at helping students to learn more between 11 and 16. </p>
<p>And because GCSEs continue to be high stakes and harder, there is even more pressure on teachers and children leading to stress and <a href="https://neu.org.uk/latest/changes-gcses-and-levels-are-damaging-students%E2%80%99-mental-health-and-increasing-teachers%E2%80%99">affecting well-being and mental health</a>. Increasingly, schools start GCSE courses early, putting pressure on younger children and squeezing out time for <a href="https://theconversation.com/secondary-students-can-suffer-from-spending-an-extra-year-drilling-for-gcse-exams-88974">important parts of education</a>. It must really be asked then, what do GCSEs actually test beyond the capacity of children to cram for tests and schools to prepare them for this?</p>
<h2>What’s the alternative?</h2>
<p>One possible alternative to GCSEs is to develop a flexible 14 to 18 curriculum that meets the needs of all learners, as well as employers and universities. Part of this would include rigorous formative assessment that lets students and teachers know how pupils are progressing. </p>
<p>To know how the system as a whole is doing, samples of students could be tested at schools selected at random in a similar way to PISA tests or the <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/">National Assessment of Educational Progress</a> in the US. To assess individual schools the focus could be on outcomes at 18 or even what happens later on at 21 in terms of jobs and university. </p>
<p>This would lead to longer-term thinking about educational outcomes, rather than the short-term focus as happens in some US “no excuses” charter schools, whose students do well when they leave <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/11/nyregion/can-a-no-excuses-charter-teach-students-to-think-for-themselves.html">but fail later</a>.</p>
<p>Recently, standards body Ofsted floated the idea that exams at 16 are not the best judge of school quality – though the government has since <a href="https://www.tes.com/news/dfe-and-ofsted-odds-over-exams">pushed back on this idea</a>. Regardless, there are reasons to think that the current version of GCSEs are already past their sell by date.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/101647/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Boylan receives funding from the Department for Education and the Education Endowment Foundation to undertake education evaluations.</span></em></p>Why new style GCSEs are past their sell by date even before they’ve got going.Mark Boylan, Professor of Education, Sheffield Hallam UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/716532017-01-30T11:28:16Z2017-01-30T11:28:16ZLatest school league tables show where you live affects your child’s education<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/154295/original/image-20170125-23878-6j9pja.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Better levels of education and higher exam results found in the South of the country.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The results are in, and the so-called north-south divide continues to separate children’s educational outcomes by geography – as the <a href="https://www.compare-school-performance.service.gov.uk/">recently published</a> secondary schools’ performance data from the Department for Education shows.</p>
<p>While there are of course variations within each region, the data – which covers over 4,000 English secondary schools – shows that parents are much more likely to find schools with high level academic performance in the south of the country, <a href="https://theconversation.com/hard-evidence-why-do-students-in-london-do-better-at-school-34090">specifically in London</a>. </p>
<p>On average schools in London outperform those in the north of the country by almost five percentage points.</p>
<h2>Crunching the numbers</h2>
<p>The 2016 data will bear much more detailed scrutiny than previous years, primarily because it contains new measures of student outcomes. So as well as GCSE results, under the new measure, comparisons between pupils’ results at the end of primary school are also now taken into consideration. This is known as pupils’ “starting points”, and means that <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-new-school-performance-tables-tell-us-very-little-about-school-performance-71235">school performance</a> is no longer based solely on final GCSE grades. </p>
<p>In light of these new measures, I’ve analysed the most recent data for secondary schools. To do this, I grouped the data into local authority regions to show how schools in a local area perform. Though this is not to suggest that the local authorities themselves have a significant impact on student outcomes. In each local authority, most – if not all – secondary schools have become academies, over which local authorities have little influence. </p>
<p>To allow for children’s “starting points” as they join secondary school, I included the average key stage two “point score” for a cohort joining secondary school. I then compared this against the percentage of that cohort that achieve five A to C grades including English and maths when they leave school at the age of 16, as can be seen in the graph below. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/154715/original/image-20170130-7663-1j9j932.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/154715/original/image-20170130-7663-1j9j932.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154715/original/image-20170130-7663-1j9j932.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154715/original/image-20170130-7663-1j9j932.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=419&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154715/original/image-20170130-7663-1j9j932.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154715/original/image-20170130-7663-1j9j932.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154715/original/image-20170130-7663-1j9j932.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=526&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This graph shows the trend lines for local authorities in London and those in the north.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>These results show that London schools are consistently able to achieve five percentage points more on the A to C measure than northern schools, whatever the children’s starting points. This differs from 2015, when the gap narrowed for higher ability cohorts. </p>
<p>My analysis, however, does show that some of the northern local authorities with weak cohorts have made small gains, but at the same time London areas with higher ability children have still accelerated their progress. </p>
<h2>London first</h2>
<p>I <a href="https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/whats-the-difference">demonstrated elsewhere</a> that while location plays the largest part in accounting for differences between school performance, by far the most important factor is the level of deprivation. This can be measured by families who have been eligible for free school meals at any time over the last six years – known as the “pupil premium”.</p>
<p>Pupil premium funding started in 2010, and has injected huge amounts of money into schools. It has been specifically targeted at those individuals who history shows they are least likely to succeed in school. But questions have rightly been asked about how much difference this has actually made to outcomes. </p>
<p>My analysis shows that the general trend across local authorities tends to be that the higher the proportion of disadvantaged children there are at a school, the lower the percentage achieving five A to C grades – including English and maths. </p>
<p>While this may be no surprise, the data for London authorities shows a marked difference – not just from those in the north but from all other regions. This seems to suggest that it is possible to achieve high outcomes irrespective of the number of disadvantaged children in the cohort. </p>
<p>The graph below shows that in London’s five most deprived authorities, children perform at least as well as they would in many of the most affluent areas of the north.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/154716/original/image-20170130-7693-676br7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/154716/original/image-20170130-7693-676br7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154716/original/image-20170130-7693-676br7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154716/original/image-20170130-7693-676br7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=420&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154716/original/image-20170130-7693-676br7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154716/original/image-20170130-7693-676br7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/154716/original/image-20170130-7693-676br7.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=528&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The proportion of disadvantaged children compared with GCSE grades.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Postcode lottery</h2>
<p>What all this analysis shows is that there is clearly work to be done, not just in establishing the reasons for these regional differences, but also to understand better the nature of the measures of performance and disadvantage. </p>
<p>For a number of years educators have pointed to the “<a href="https://www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Implementing%20the%20London%20Challenge%20-%20final_0.pdf">London challenge</a>” as an example of sustainable, meaningful school improvement, but to date few areas outside of the capital have been able to match its success. </p>
<p>The reasons for this success will of course be many and varied, and will undoubtedly be influenced by the enhanced levels of funding that London schools receive. This has been estimated to be as much as <a href="http://tonystephens.org.uk/download/xxxx/leadership_and_management/How%20and%20why%20london%20schools%20have%20improved.pdf">£1,000 per pupil</a> – almost double that of other areas. </p>
<p>But not all of London’s success can be attributed to finances alone, because schools here have worked together, to come up with “bespoke solutions” to address the wide range of problems faced by schools in the area. </p>
<p>What all this suggests is that <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-close-the-north-south-divide-between-secondary-schools-51607">closing the north-south divide between secondary schools</a> will be difficult, if not impossible in the days of competing multi-academy trusts. And with the loss of geographical coherence, as local authorities wane in influence, it is hard to see a clear way forward. </p>
<p>But given that A-level and university applications suffer from a similar <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-north-south-divide-in-a-levels-explained-64317">regional bias</a>, what is clear is that we need to support and develop the areas outside of London if we want education to stop becoming something of a postcode lottery.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71653/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chris Rolph does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Crunching the numbers on the latest school performance data.Chris Rolph, Principal Lecturer in Education, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/712352017-01-23T12:11:14Z2017-01-23T12:11:14ZWhy new school performance tables tell us very little about school performance<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/153838/original/image-20170123-8082-1irodf7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The latest performance tables for secondary and primary schools in England have been released – with parents and educators alike looking to the tables to understand <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/01/19/gcse-school-league-tables-2016-compare-schools-performance/">and compare</a> schools in their area. </p>
<p>Schools will also be keen to see if they have met a new set of national standards set by the government. These new standards now include “<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/583857/Progress_8_school_performance_measure_Jan_17.pdf">progress</a>” measures, which are a type of “value-added measure”. These compare pupils’ results with other pupils who got the same exam scores as them at the end of primary school.</p>
<p>Previously, secondary schools were rated mainly by raw GCSE results. This was based on the number of pupils getting five A to C GCSEs. But because GCSE results are strongly linked to how well pupils perform in primary school, it tended to be that these previous performance tables told us more about school intakes than actual performance. So under the new measures, schools are judged by how much progress students make compared to other pupils of a similar ability.</p>
<p>This means that it is now easier to identify schools that have good results despite low starting points. As well as schools with very able students who are making relatively little progress compared to able pupils at other schools.</p>
<p>But even with these fairer headline measures, the tables still tell us relatively little about school performance. This is because there are serious problems with the use of these types of “value-added measures” to judge school performance – as <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/berj.3247/abstract">my new research</a> shows. I have outlined the main issues below:</p>
<h2>Intake biases</h2>
<p>Taking pupils’ starting points into account when judging school performance is a step in the right direction, because this means that schools are held accountable for the progress pupils make while at the school. It also focuses schools’ efforts on all pupils making progress rather than just those on the <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13634230500340898?src=recsys">C/D grade borderline</a> which was so crucial for success in the previous measure. </p>
<p>But school intakes differ by more than their prior exam results. My study finds that over a third of the variation in the new secondary school scores can be accounted for by a small number of factors such as the number of disadvantaged pupils at a school, or pupils at the school for whom English is not their first language. This means the new measure is still some way off “levelling the playing field” when comparing school performance.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/153840/original/image-20170123-8062-xskv5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/153840/original/image-20170123-8062-xskv5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153840/original/image-20170123-8062-xskv5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153840/original/image-20170123-8062-xskv5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153840/original/image-20170123-8062-xskv5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153840/original/image-20170123-8062-xskv5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153840/original/image-20170123-8062-xskv5d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">New measures don’t level the playing field.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In my research, I examined how much school scores would change if these differences in context were taken into account. While schools with a “typical” intake of pupils may be largely unaffected, schools working in the most or least challenging areas could see their scores shifting dramatically. I found this could be by as much as an average of five GCSE grades per pupil across their best eight subjects. And these are just the “biases” we know about and have measures for.</p>
<h2>Unstable over time</h2>
<p>My research also replicated <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-985X.2009.00597.x/abstract">previous research</a> which found that secondary school performance is only moderately “stable” over time when looking at relative progress. This can be seen in the fact that less than a quarter of the variation in school scores can be accounted for by school performance three years earlier. I also extended this to primary school level where I found stability to be lower still.</p>
<p>The recent “value-added” progress measures are slightly more stable than the former “contextualised” measure – which took many pupil characteristics as well as previous exam results into account. But given “biases” relating to intakes, such as strong links with pupil disadvantage, higher stability is probably not a good thing and most likely reflects differences in school intakes. The real test is whether the measure is stable when these “predictable biases” are removed.</p>
<h2>Poorly reflect range of pupils</h2>
<p>League tables by their very nature give the scores for a single group in a single year. This means the performance of the year group that left the school last year (as given in the performance tables) reveals very little about the performance of other year groups – and my research supports this. I looked at pupils in years three to nine – ages seven to 14 – to examine the performance of different year groups in the same school at a given point in time.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/153841/original/image-20170123-8078-hipzuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/153841/original/image-20170123-8078-hipzuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153841/original/image-20170123-8078-hipzuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153841/original/image-20170123-8078-hipzuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153841/original/image-20170123-8078-hipzuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153841/original/image-20170123-8078-hipzuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/153841/original/image-20170123-8078-hipzuh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Even very high or low performing schools tend to have a huge range of pupil scores.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I found that even the performance of consecutive year groups – so years six and five – were only moderately similar. For cohorts separated by two or more years, levels of similarity were also found to be low. This inconsistency can also be seen within a single year – where even very high or low performing schools tend to have a <a href="http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/6773/1/Perry16PhD.pdf">huge range of pupil scores</a>.</p>
<p>This all goes to show that school performance tables are not a true or fair reflection of a school’s performance. While there is certainly room to improve this situation, <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/berj.3247/abstract">my research</a> suggests that relative progress measures will never be a fair and accurate guide to school performance on their own.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/71235/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>This research was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)</span></em></p>Three reasons why the new progress measures may be a misleading indicator of school performance.Tom Perry, Visiting Lecturer, University of BirminghamLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/672822016-10-21T10:30:31Z2016-10-21T10:30:31ZSchool well-being league tables: a view for and against<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142633/original/image-20161021-1778-vsf42g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Rank schools by pupil wellbeing to tackle mental health 'crisis', says former leading head.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Parents searching for school places are used to scouring league tables and Ofsted ratings to find the best schools in their local area. But do these rankings really give a true picture of what school life will be like for their children?</p>
<p>One suggestion by a former headteacher was for children’s well-being to be measured more effectively in schools. Anthony Seldon, a university head and mental health campaigner, said school league tables <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2016/10/10/rank-schools-by-pupil-well-being-to-tackle-mental-health-crisis/">should start to include measures of well-being</a> to help tackle an “epidemic of mental health” problems in schools across the UK. </p>
<p>But the idea of introducing well-being rankings that would mimic exam league tables has been met with mixed responses by those in education. </p>
<p>Below, two experts give their thoughts on the idea.</p>
<h2>‘League tables are crude and misleading’</h2>
<p><em>Jessica Deighton is the deputy director of the Evidence Based Practice Unit at University College London and the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families</em></p>
<p>The reality of children’s mental health is deeply worrying – at least two children in every primary school class will have a <a href="https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/missed-opportunities">diagnosable mental health condition</a> and one in eight will have one or more mental health conditions at any time. The case for change is clear. But the call made by Seldon to address this issue using well-being league tables is not the answer. </p>
<p>Ranking schools on the basis of pupils’ survey responses is dangerous as it risks oversimplifying the picture of schools’ support of mental health and well-being. It also runs the risk of a well-being measure being used as another stick to beat some schools with. Or for schools with a different type of intake – such as those with a smaller proportion of special educational needs, or with a wealthy catchment area – to bask in effectively unearned kudos for their “well-being performance”.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142213/original/image-20161018-15103-cmu3jq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142213/original/image-20161018-15103-cmu3jq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142213/original/image-20161018-15103-cmu3jq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142213/original/image-20161018-15103-cmu3jq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142213/original/image-20161018-15103-cmu3jq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142213/original/image-20161018-15103-cmu3jq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142213/original/image-20161018-15103-cmu3jq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">There are dangers of turning well-being support into another box-ticking exercise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>Schools are quite often the first line of response in early intervention for children’s mental health needs. The opportunity for timely support and signposting is huge – and many schools know this only too well. Schools often report struggling to prioritise well-being in a system that is so heavily skewed toward academic outcomes, but league tables are too crude and potentially misleading to effectively move the agenda on. </p>
<p>Instead Ofsted should be encouraged to actively assess schools on their mental health and well-being policies and action. Some schools are doing fantastic work in this area – and it is not necessarily recognised or credited – but these practices are by no means uniform across schools. Despite a new <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-from-september-2015">inspection framework</a> being introduced, in practice Ofsted reports still barely mention mental health and well-being. And unless mental well-being becomes part of the inspection framework in a very concrete sense, the patchy practice and uncertainty will endure. </p>
<p>But there are other things that can be done. Teachers should receive <a href="http://www.annafreud.org/service-improvement/service-improvement-in-schools/cascade-schools-and-camhs-partnership-training/">mental health training</a> as part of their formal education to effectively support their students. Schools should also be using <a href="http://www.annafreud.org/services-schools/mental-health-in-schools/schools-in-mind/resources-for-schools/mental-health-toolkit-for-schools/">tried and tested well-being tools</a> to understand the needs of their students and evaluate their practice. </p>
<p>As well as holding schools more accountable for what they are doing to support pupil mental health and well-being,
specific monitoring of policies and practices around mental health and well-being in schools by Ofsted will also help to incentivise schools to have progressive policies and programmes in place. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142214/original/image-20161018-15119-11157f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142214/original/image-20161018-15119-11157f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142214/original/image-20161018-15119-11157f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142214/original/image-20161018-15119-11157f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142214/original/image-20161018-15119-11157f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142214/original/image-20161018-15119-11157f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142214/original/image-20161018-15119-11157f4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">We should train teachers in mental health.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<h2>‘Benefits for staff and students’</h2>
<p><em>Rachel Dodge is a researcher at Cardiff Metropolitan University interested in enhancing well-being in further education students</em> </p>
<p>Although there may be many arguments against the measuring of well-being and the existence of school league tables, there is no denying that both are here to stay. So even though there has been some concern about measuring well-being there is a growing consensus in academia, as well as policy, that the question is not whether to measure well-being, but how. And at a time when exam league tables in England are due to be overhauled, there is a strong argument that the inclusion of a measure of well-being would be a useful addition. </p>
<p>Seldon <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/sir-anthony-seldon-wellbeing-league-table_uk_57fb7410e4b02213e9546562">made a clear point</a>: “As long as the only metric on which schools are being assessed is their exam performance, our schools will never have the incentive to take well-being as seriously as they should”. </p>
<p>This stems from the concern that school league tables lead schools to place their energy and focus onto what is being measured. So if well-being is not included as a measurement there is a danger that it could be sidelined or ignored by schools. But by including well-being as a measure it would gain equal status with academic achievement – something that Seldon strongly believes parents looks for when choosing the school that is best suited for their child.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142216/original/image-20161018-15140-4259mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/142216/original/image-20161018-15140-4259mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142216/original/image-20161018-15140-4259mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142216/original/image-20161018-15140-4259mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142216/original/image-20161018-15140-4259mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142216/original/image-20161018-15140-4259mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/142216/original/image-20161018-15140-4259mc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Parents care about their children’s well-being.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>At a time where our <a href="https://theconversation.com/asian-cities-tussle-for-top-spot-in-new-education-ranking-as-london-left-behind-55266">education system is in the spotlight for underachieving</a> with rankings indicating that the UK is failing to make progress, an increased focus on well-being in our schools may help to change the direction of this trend – by increasing students’ use of strategies to face the challenge of examinations. </p>
<p>A further benefit of the inclusion of well-being in school league tables is the impact it could have on staff. <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042812054535">Research</a> from a number of <a href="https://www.educationsupportpartnership.org.uk/sites/default/files/resources/looking_after_teacher_wellbeing.pdf">well-being programmes</a> has highlighted that the delivery of these programmes led to <a href="http://www.sueroffey.com/wp-content/uploads/import/32-Roffey%20ECP29-4.pdf">increased teacher wellbeing</a> and job satisfaction. </p>
<p>In my <a href="http://cardiffmet.academia.edu/RachelDodge">own research</a>, teachers who delivered a ten-week intervention programme to enhance student well-being, noted how they had started to implement some of the well-being strategies into their own life – such as reassessing their own sleep patterns, as well as considering how their internal thought processes affected the way they felt in their jobs. </p>
<p>The programme also had an effect on the way they perceived their students. One teacher explained how teaching a session on the brain helped her to have a better understanding of how adolescents develop. This led to her stating that she had learned to “appreciate them a bit more”. Another teacher accepted that a task within a session on individual thought patterns made her realise that she didn’t praise her students enough. Making it clear that an increased focus on well-being in schools could only lead to <a href="http://www.theworkfoundation.com/DownloadPublication/Report/369_TSN%20REPORT%20FINAL%20AUGUST%201%202014.pdf">benefits for our education system</a> and those in it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/67282/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jessica Deighton receives funding from the Department of Health for her role in the Child Policy Research Unit, and from the National Institute of Health Research, she also receives funding from the Big Lottery Fund for the Evaluation of HeadStart. A recently produced Mental well-being toolkit was also funded by Public Health England.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel Dodge does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Do we really need to introduce a well-being league table to tackle mental health issues in schools?Rachel Dodge, Researcher in enhancing wellbeing, Cardiff Metropolitan UniversityJessica Deighton, Deputy Director and Research Programme Lead for the Evidence Based Practice Unit, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/322232014-11-13T19:31:18Z2014-11-13T19:31:18ZThey believe in teachers and in education for all: why Finland’s kids often top league tables<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/61085/original/hczbkkcq-1412721668.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">They don't spend massive amounts of money on education and the kids spend less time at school, so how is the Finnish education system so effective?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>When looking at large-scale international studies and comparisons of education systems worldwide, everyone’s always talking about Finland. Finland seems to set the benchmark for education worldwide. Foreign educational experts, delegations of teachers and educational politicians flock to the departments of teacher education in Finnish universities, as well as schools. So what is it about education in Finland that’s so good, and why do they constantly top the league tables?</p>
<p>Finnish kids spend less time in schools than children in many other countries. Compared to other OECD countries, Finland does not invest an especially large portion of its budget in education. Adding up the money, teaching time and good results, the system is highly effective.</p>
<p>The Finns have often been characterised as a nation whose belief in the power of education is strong. Education has had, and still has, an important status in this small wooded country of about 5.4 million people. </p>
<p>One of the basic principles is to create equal opportunities in education for all inhabitants. Education is seen as a basic right of every Finn. Education is free of charge at all stages, although in upper secondary schools the students have to buy textbooks themselves.</p>
<p>The backbone of the Finnish educational system is basic education, which can also be called “comprehensive school”. This is compulsory for all children from the ages of seven to 16 (grades 1–9). There have been political debates about extending compulsory education to age of 17, but this was not considered possible in the present economic situation. </p>
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<span class="caption">Education in Finland is more equitable than in many other OECD nations.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/ekurvine/14287870206">FlickrEsko Kurvinen</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>In Finland, the school administration is decentralised and there are no school inspectors. In fact, parents trust the teachers and schools, so there is no need to execute external administrative control just for control’s sake.</p>
<p>Most of the Finnish pupils choose the nearest school to their home. That is possible and recommended, because the variation between schools is very small and the quality of teaching does not vary significantly.</p>
<p>The Finnish comprehensive school is fairly uniform and its main goal is to ensure equal opportunities for the entire age group. The percentage of dropouts in compulsory education is very small. Large-scale international studies of educational achievement, such as <a href="http://www.oecd.org/pisa/">PISA</a> and the <a href="http://www.iea.nl/">International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement</a>, have repeatedly shown that the differences between Finnish comprehensive schools are small.</p>
<p>Post-comprehensive education is optional, but the majority of adolescents continue their studies after the compulsory school. They can choose between two main types of education, upper secondary school and vocational education. About half of the age cohort choose the upper secondary school after compulsory education, <a href="http://www.justlanded.com/english/Finland/Finland-Guide/Education/Secondary-education">another half</a> the vocational path.</p>
<p>The majority of schools in Finland are under municipal administration, which is subsidised by the state, but they still have a fair amount of autonomy in administration. The number of private schools is quite small. There is no system of school inspections and centralised control for school textbooks was abolished in 1992. </p>
<p>Schools follow the broad curriculum provided by the Finnish National Board of Education. Thus, the teachers have a fairly large degree of freedom in their profession and are considered trusted professionals in their field.</p>
<p>Teachers and teacher education courses have traditionally had a high status in Finnish society. Teacher education was transferred to universities in the 1970s and all qualified teachers hold a Master’s degree, except kindergarten teachers who hold a Bachelor’s degree. Finnish teacher education, which is carried out in close connection with specific teacher training schools, provides quality teaching as a profession. </p>
<p>It has not been difficult to attract students to teacher education programs. Students are selected for teacher education with the help of two entrance tests. The class teacher course is one of the most popular university programs alongside medicine and law, and only about 5% of all applicants are admitted.</p>
<p>The most important thing about the Finnish way of education is that politicians, researchers, teachers and parents have whistled the same educational tune for about 40 years now: equity and equality for all in education.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/32223/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>When looking at large-scale international studies and comparisons of education systems worldwide, everyone’s always talking about Finland. Finland seems to set the benchmark for education worldwide. Foreign…Arja Virta, Head of the Department of Teacher Education, University of TurkuKristiina Heikkila, Adjunct professor, University of TurkuLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/307992014-08-21T14:00:04Z2014-08-21T14:00:04ZRise in GCSE A* to C grades, plus entry in vocational subjects<p>Despite <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-28876367">a number</a> of dire warnings, <a href="http://www.jcq.org.uk/media-centre/news-releases">overall GCSE results</a> have not been very volatile. Across the country, the number of students getting A* to C grades has increased slightly, by 0.7% points. On the basis of past performance, students who would have received an A or a C grade in 2013, should have received that A or C this year too. But there are some marked subject differences, as well as developments in the number of teenagers taking vocational and computing subjects.</p>
<p>We have already had a relatively boring set of <a href="https://theconversation.com/permanent-revolution-of-a-level-exams-helps-nobody-30488">A level results</a> this summer. On the whole, A Level grades were similar to last year’s, with some minor fluctuations, most notably in an increase of students who got A* grade. </p>
<p>Please don’t misunderstand me when I say boring: when it comes to exams, this is a good thing. It reassures us that most students got the grades they deserved. Of course, there will always be exceptions – measurement error in examinations, no matter what the politicians tell us, is inevitable and will always be with us.</p>
<p>For the GCSEs, on a subject-by-subject basis there were notable differences. The A* to C pass rate for English was down 1.9% points, while in mathematics it was up 4.8% points and 6% points in science. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/57063/original/c5txb457-1408621730.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/57063/original/c5txb457-1408621730.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/57063/original/c5txb457-1408621730.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/57063/original/c5txb457-1408621730.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/57063/original/c5txb457-1408621730.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/57063/original/c5txb457-1408621730.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/57063/original/c5txb457-1408621730.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/57063/original/c5txb457-1408621730.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=425&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="attribution"><a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
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<p>Overall, the number of exam entries was down by over 200,000, from 5.4m in 2013 to 5.2m in 2014, largely due to <a href="http://ofqual.gov.uk/standards/statistics/provisional-summer-gcse-igcse-entries/">a 39% drop</a> in the number of entries for Year 10 students. But even these changes are less dramatic than it might seem.</p>
<h2>Rise in vocational subjects</h2>
<p>Two points I have noted that probably will not get much attention were the increase in the take-up of applied (vocational) GCSEs as well as a dramatic increase in computing and ICT GCSEs, admittedly from a low base. </p>
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<p>Business, engineering, health and social care, media studies, hospitality and catering, and leisure and tourism are all on the increase. Some subjects, such as engineering and social care have seen the number of A* to C students increase, while others including leisure and tourism and business studies, have seen a decrease. </p>
<p>As for computing – the number of entries jumped almost fourfold to 16,773 this year. However, there was a slight dip in the numbers of students getting A* to C – down from 68.4% in 2013 to 65.5% this year. Computing now counts as a science, and therefore as one of the subjects in the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-ebacc-effect-pushes-pupils-into-more-academic-subjects-thats-a-good-thing-29931">English Baccalureate</a>, a performance measure of five core subjects now being used in school rankings. The number of ICT entries was also up 40% to 96,811. </p>
<p>Many vocational qualifications are no longer counted as equivalent to GCSEs in this year’s school performance tables, following on from recommendations in <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/180504/DFE-00031-2011.pdf">Alison Wolf’s 2011 review</a> of vocational qualifications. Those qualifications that are able to be counted now only attract the points-equivalent of one GCSE, when in the past some counted for more. This has discouraged schools from entering students for those qualifications. </p>
<p>But it seems this year’s results show signs that some schools are shifting some of their students into applied GCSEs. This could possibly be in anticipation of counting at least some of the qualification results toward the “best eight” qualifications that will now be the basis of <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-look-gcse-league-tables-reconfirm-wide-disparities-between-schools-22793">new performance tables, due to be introduced in 2016</a>. </p>
<h2>Impact of decline in early entry</h2>
<p>Students in England will have taken all of their examinations at the end of their two-year GCSE course because of the government’s insistence on linear qualifications.</p>
<p>For English GCSEs, speaking and listening is now graded separately and does not count in the overall results. Many students in the past have done better in this teacher-marked element than in reading and writing – just think about how verbally articulate most teenagers are and you can see why. English is now 60% externally assessed through examination papers whereas last year it was 40%. </p>
<p>And changes to the way performance tables are structured now mean that <a href="https://theconversation.com/shift-from-sitting-gcses-a-year-early-wins-guarded-support-29869">only a student’s first attempt</a> at an examination is counted toward the school’s results. Many schools have ceased to enter 15-year-old Year 10 students early for the examinations, resulting in 300,000 fewer early entries this year. </p>
<p>Those schools that made little use of early entry and resits will on the whole have stable or perhaps even better results than last year. For those that made wide use of these practices, the picture could be mixed. Multiple re-sits can just help those students on the border between grade C and grade D to get the higher grade – boosting school results. But taking a qualification at age 16 rather than 15 could mean that students do better because they’ve studied longer and are more mature, pushing results up.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/30799/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tina Isaacs does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Despite a number of dire warnings, overall GCSE results have not been very volatile. Across the country, the number of students getting A* to C grades has increased slightly, by 0.7% points. On the basis…Tina Isaacs, Programme Leader, MA in Educational Assessment, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.