Introducing the All-Wales Core Data Sets

Today’s workshop  Background to the new All Wales Core Data Sets  Discussion on principles and statistical families  Using data in Inspection  Good Self Evaluation  Practical exercises using data to ask questions

Estyn Report Use of performance data in Local Authorities and schools (Feb 08)  All LAs use data to evaluate school performance  Not all LAs analyse data sufficiently for all schools  Schools’ understanding and use of data varies widely  Not all schools make appropriate use of data to assess pupil performance and to contribute to school self evaluation  Nationally prepared data too late to be of use especially for target setting  Data not provided to Governors or elected members in sufficient detail

National Pupil Database Review Independent, external review (Jan 09)  NPD core functionality good  Core strategic objectives remain current and valid BUT  NPD under-utilised  Perceived as too difficult to use  School admin staff overloaded  Quality issues for some data  Data available too late in year  LAs provide the info to schools anyway

WAG Response NPD went off-line from 31 August 2009 Fixed format reports for Autumn 2009 – the All Wales Core Data Sets – providing contextual analysis and performance data for KS1-4 Long term development of a new on-line interactive tool

Families of Schools Initially grouped by linguistic delivery then  Size of the school (primary only)  The proportion of pupils in the school; entitled to free school meals (50% weighting) living in the 20% most deprived areas in Wales - derived from Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation data (30% weighting) from ethnic minority backgrounds (10% weighting) identified as having special education needs (10% weighting) Identity of family members will be know to the ‘target school’

What do you think? Of a single approach to analysis of core data sets across Wales? How do you think the family approach can best be used by schools to support self evaluation and improvement?

Using data in inspection and in self evaluation

General principles Trends in performance over time Consider a range of analyses

Trends in performance over time Core subjects and CSI - all key stages Expected level plus 1- in KS1, 2 and 3 Non core subjects – in KS3 Level thresholds and wider points – in KS4

Comparison with similar schools Free school meal benchmark data Families of schools

Value added data Progress of actual cohort Set in context of other indicators

Performance of groups of pupils Gender difference Pupils with SEN More able and talented Vulnerable groups

Other analyses Attendance rates In secondary schools  Exclusions  Destinations at age 16 and 19

Good self evaluation Open and honest. Identifies areas for improvement as well as good features. Informed by rigorous analysis of performance data.

Leaders and managers must : be well informed on the school’s performance; be able to ask the right questions; and keep the governing body fully informed.

Are we doing as well, or even better, than we were three years ago? How do we compare with similar schools? Do our pupils make enough progress through each key stage? Do we identify any underperforming groups? Asking the right questions

Are we doing as well as we should be? Are we using data to challenge our performance…. or to justify it?

Contextual Information

Performance Trends

Gender Differences - Comparisons

Family Schools Comparisons

Benchmarking

KS3 – Non Core Subject – National Benchmarking

Family School Comparison – CSI vs FSM

Family School Comparison – Absences vs FSM

Formal feedback events in the spring but in the interim, feedback and queries to;