More North East schools below floor standard in Key Stage 4 results
More North East schools are below floor standard in Key Stage 4 results, however commentators have urged caution over this year’s data in light of significant curriculum and assessment changes that have impacted Progress 8.
The DfE’s publication of revised KS4 results yesterday showed that:
- The North East has the most schools of any English region below the Government’s Progress 8 floor standard of -0.5. 20.9% of state-funded secondaries in the region fell into this category, up from 17.2% last year.
- This comes against the background of a worsening situation nationally: the number of schools falling below the standard in England as a whole went up by 2.7% from 2016 to 2017 and now stands at 12%.
- There are more “coasting” schools in the region than elsewhere in the country, with the number of schools meeting the DfE’s definition rising from 14.8% in 2016 to 16.9% in 2017.
- The impact of the new Maths and English GCSEs appears to have been worse in the North East than in other regions. This is particularly evident in the English component of Progress 8, which saw a fall of -0.12. Most other regions saw small increases or decreases in their scores, aside from the South West which saw a larger fall of -0.15.
Commenting on yesterday’s data Mike Parker, Director of SCHOOLS NorthEast said:
“These results have to be seen in the context of a significant overhaul in GCSEs this year. Experts predicted this would be the case and it has seen more schools across the country go below the floor standard.
“That said, we have to be more ambitious for educational outcomes here in the North East.
“The results highlight the disparity of our region compared to others in the country and there are three main areas that have to be urgently addressed.
“Firstly, secondary schools in the region have to be given a level playing field. The Department for Education has neglected the North East. Too many of its initiatives and major funding allocations which are too often focused in and around Opportunity Areas. The North East remains the sole region outside of London not to be included in this flagship policy area.
“North East schools are operating with a fraction of the money that London schools enjoy; they face a recruitment crisis; and, they face some of the most challenging conditions in a sparsely-populated region with widespread poverty which is proven to be the major drag on education attainment.
“That said, leaders in the region cannot, and must not, accept this as a fait accompli. They have to ruthlessly pursue measures to bring about a step change in education in this region. A relentless focus on evidence-based practice has to be at the core of all that schools do now and in future.
“Finally, the communities around schools have to become more actively engaged and supportive of education in the region. Employers – private, public and third sector – have to understand and embrace their role in improving the basic skills of their workforces. They also need to positively promote the importance of education and back schools so that the parents and grandparents they employ fully understand the role they play in supporting their children through secondary education.”