Welcome to our video guide for Key Stage 4 Accountability and Progress 8 for schools
in England.
This is video guide 4 of 5: Calculating Progress 8 with fewer than 8 subjects.
This video Calculating Progress 8, gives worked examples for fewer than 8 subjects.
If you need more help, we've provided contact details of curriculum and policy experts you
can talk to at the end of the video.
Even though the measure is entitled 'Progress 8' it may be in the student's interests to
take a different combination of 8, or fewer than 8.
In such cases it can not only be of benefit to the student, but it can also reflect positively
in the school's performance measure.
The Department of Education has emphasized this point throughout the consultation and
in the various documents published since the new measures were announced.
The additional time for English and maths is important for the student as these are
such critical subjects.
For the school, they are double-weighted and this is a deliberate incentive to maximise
achievement.
Achievement in these subjects by the end of Key Stage 4 is particularly important for
the Year 10 cohort starting in September 2014.
These students will be the last to take the current GCSEs in English and maths, and if
they do not get their pass grades in summer 2016 will have a single retake opportunity
on the current specifications in November 2016.
After that, any future attempts will be on the new specifications, which will be significantly
different from those which they have been previously prepared for.
As well as more time for English and maths, some students will be more engaged and motivated
by subjects other than those making up the Progress 8 measure.
This candidate follows a programme with fewer than 8 subjects, this allows time for extra
support in English and maths and extra time to achieve better grades than expected.
They have time to take larger certificate size qualifications in Sport and ICT as their
areas of greatest interest.
The science programme of study requirement is met through the BTEC award . There are
no subjects in the eBacc group and four subjects available for group 3.
Remember if a second English qualification is taken it is counted in this group.
The best three of these four subjects is used to calculate the score for this group and
so English literature does not contribute.
The BTEC certificates now count as one subject each each even though they are twice the size
as a GCSE in timetable and content terms.
When the student's attainment total of 35 points is converted to a Progress 8 score,
we see that they have actually made half a grade more progress than would be expected.
The student has also gained the equivalent of 6 passes at GCSE - English, Science and
the double sized Sport and ICT.
This may well allow them to progress to level 3 study post-16, perhaps following a vocational
sport or IT course.
They have passed English, which means they will not need to continue with that subject,
and have a near miss in mathematics.
Their areas of weakness can be targeted in a short course of study that might allow them
to pass on an early re-sit in the November of Year 12.
As well as this benefit to the student, the school also records a strong positive value
added score.
This student has a similar prior achievement profile to the previous example, but they
are put on a programme that conforms to the full Progress 8 measure.
The subjects may not motivate them in the same way, and there is no time for additional
support with their maths and English.
Results are very much in line with expectations.
In calculating example 3 the Progress 8 score shows that this student has come in almost
exactly in line with the national average achievement for students with the same prior
achievement.
There is a modest positive score for the school of one tenth of a grade.
However the difference between the prospects for this student and the one in example 2
is significant.
With the equivalent of only 2 GCSE passes this student will realistically be looking
to progress only to a level 2 course post 16.
They have a lot of ground still to make up in maths and English, which will account for
a significant proportion of their study programme.
This approach will not be right for all students, but it does illustrate two important points
about Progress 8.
first, it is not always in the interests of either the student or the school to assume
that a curriculum based on the Progress 8 'formula' is most beneficial.
second, Progress 8 is based on the premise that every student matters, and that the results
for every student will influence the headline measure in a way that 5A*-C could not do.
If you need more advice about Progress 8 you can contact your Curriculum Development Manager
or Curriculum Support Consultant at www.btec.co.uk/support.
Sign up for our Policy Watch updates at: policywatch@edexcel.com Or talk to your Subject Advisor in the Teaching
Services team, you can get in touch at www.edexcel.com/contactus Take a look at video guide 5 to see Calculating
Progress 8 for science and first entry.