Contact: John Clarke, Deputy Director of Children's Services, telephone: 01962 846464 email: [email protected]

1 Summary

1.1 This report summarises the achievements of Hampshire schools during the academic year 2004-2005. It provides headline information relating to test and examination results and offers a commentary on them. Further details will be provided to the Schools Monitoring Panel in early 2006, as they become available. This later report will also provide a commentary on achievements described in this paper as they relate to similar pupils in similar contexts nationally.

1.2 Hampshire schools continue to perform well and, in most key stages, improvements were achieved in 2004-2005 or results tracked those of similar local authorities.

1.3 This work supports Aim 1 of the Corporate Strategy (maximising life opportunities) and reports on one of the five outcomes of the Children Act that is concerned with achievement. It is only through pupils achieving well, attending school regularly and learning to engage productively with their peers and adults that they will equip themselves to make the best out of their adult lives and careers.

2 Test and Examination Results 2005

2.1 Charts showing the trend in performance appear as Appendix 1. A list of Hampshire's statistical neighbours appears as Appendix 2.

2.2 Key Stage 1: Headlines

2.2.1 88% of Hampshire's seven year olds achieved level 2+ in reading, one point up on 2004. This was three points above the national average and represents our highest level ever. Compared to our statistical neighbours, Hampshire performed slightly better. In Hampshire schools, the results at level 3+ declined, as did results in England and in the schools of our statistical neighbours. However, our decline was greater, representing four points.

2.2.2 Hampshire improved its performance in writing at level 2+. 86% of seven year olds reached level 2+, up on the last two years. This is above the national results and those of statistical neighbours. Results for those reaching level 3+ declined slightly and were below our statistical neighbours, while remaining about the national average.

2.2.3 93% of Hampshire's 7 year olds reached the national expectation for children of that age, equalling our best ever result. However, the number reaching level 3+ declined, to a level below that of our statistical neighbours but above the national average.

2.3 Key Stage 1: Commentary

2.3.1 The number of children achieving the national expectation in Hampshire's infant and primary schools continues to ensure a very solid foundation for their future education. There has, however, been a decline in those reaching level 3+. This year there has been a change in the method of assessment that is more reliant on teacher's professional judgements.

2.4 Key Stage 2: Headlines

2.4.1 The percentage of Hampshire's 11 year olds achieving the national expectation of level 4+ in English rose from 80% to 82%. This represents continued improvement and a four point rise over the past two years. Results at level 5+ were maintained at the same level as last year, at four points above the national performance - in a year when results in our statistical neighbours declined.

2.4.2 78% of Hampshire's 11 year olds achieved level 4+ in mathematics and 33% level 5, both better than our statistical neighbours and the national picture.

2.4.3 The results for level 4+ science show children reached 90%; better than our statistical neighbours. The number reaching 5+ is well up on last year and better than our statistical neighbours and the national picture.

2.4.4 The percentage of children who achieved a level 4+ in both English and mathematics is 73%. The comparison nationally is 70%.

2.5 Key Stage 2: Commentary

2.5.1 As at last year, results nationally in English at level 4+ have risen. In the years preceding, they seemed to have reached a plateau following a rapid improvement shortly after the introduction of the National Literacy Strategy.

2.5.2 All the evidence suggests that level 4+ in English for 11 year olds is the key measure. Failure to reach level 4 disadvantages pupils in their secondary education. Only a small percentage of those who do not reach it by 11 go on to achieve 5 A*-C GCSEs at 16.

2.5.3 The School Improvement Service is working with schools in the county on improving teaching and learning in the primary years and is engaging fully in all the work which surrounds Excellence and Enjoyment. Breadth and balance in the primary curriculum is important; so is the development of children's creativity; but both of these have to be achieved as part of a continued, concerted effort to raise standards still further in some primary schools, particularly in English.

2.5.4 Other data shows that, where we have intervened in schools, the results have been positive. For example, in the primary leadership programme (involving 40 schools in total) the progress made by children shows that, in English, results have risen by 4.4%. In mathematics the results are up 3.8%. Evaluations are suggesting that the success of the programme has been achieved by primary phase inspectors, primary strategy consultant leaders, and English and mathematics consultants/inspectors working together. They have particularly focused on:

· leadership for a clear moral purpose; higher expectation throughout the school; community

· leadership to establish the necessary systemic changes to maintain and motivate improvements

· focused pedagogical leadership

· better subject knowledge and teaching

2.6 Key Stage 3: Headlines

2.6.1 2005 results in each of English, mathematics and science place Hampshire in the top half of its reference group when compared with its statistical neighbours. The level 5+ percentage for English is up one point to 77%, mathematics remains the same at 78% and science is up 4 points to 76%, thereby recovering from the dip seen last year, as nationally. Trends are largely consistent with statistical neighbours except that, in English, the increase was less than nationally and with statistical neighbours. This is mostly because some ground was lost in results for writing.

2.6.2 There is a continuing upward trend at level 6+ in mathematics to 58%. This pattern is the same as nationally and with statistical neighbours. Results in science at 42%, and in English at 38%, also show similar trends to statistical neighbours. Although the English result is unchanged from 2004, this indicator did not experience the one point fall that was seen nationally.

2.6.3 The charts in Appendix 1 reveal the importance of looking at results over time and not just the incremental change from the previous year. They do show, however, that of the three core subjects it is only in mathematics that there is consistent evidence of year on year improvement, both nationally and locally.

2.7 Key Stage 3: Commentary

2.7.1 Schools now view the materials available through the Secondary Strategy (as it is now called) as a major resource in support of school improvement. The most effective schools also draw very carefully on the advice and support of the secondary consultants. The Children's Services Department continues to review its own practice and, where necessary, adapts its support programme to suit individual circumstances. For example, and arising out of a review of the English results this year, those senior staff who line manage English departments, together with some of the heads of department, will be provided with specific advice on leading and management improvement in English.

2.7.2 There is acceptance, generally, by schools that Key Stage 3 tests are an important milestone indicator of progress. The later publication of English results in August seems to have resolved most problems with the marking of scripts and administration reported last year. However, schools have found the timing inconvenient for Year 10 planning purposes. A small but growing number of schools also enters pupils for Key Stage 3 tests in year 8, thereby making some comparisons of performance and pupil progress more complicated because the outcome that might be expected for a pupil in Year 8 will be different from in Year 9.

2.8 Key Stage 4: Headlines

2.8.1 GCSE results in Hampshire rose significantly in 2005. Provisional figures compared with this time last year show that the 5+ A* - C figure rose by 2.6 percentage points to 60.5%. This increase is higher than the change nationally. 91.8% of pupils achieved 5+ A* - G grades (to include English and mathematics) and 98.1% achieved 1+ A* - G grades. All of these figures are above national averages. The figures for A*-G grades remain particularly strong when compared with statistical neighbours. The 5+A*-C percentage is in the top third.

2.9 Key Stage 4: Commentary

2.9.1 Many schools quite rightly see results at Key Stage 4 as the ultimate measurement of school performance. Of increasing importance, although not yet one of the nationally reported indicators, is the percentage of pupils who attain 5+A*-C grades including English and mathematics. This figure for Hampshire in 2005 was over 11 points lower than the less specific 5+A*-C figure - the same difference as nationally. It is important that as many pupils as possible gain an A*-C grade in both English and mathematics. For this reason, schools in Hampshire are being encouraged to set non statutory 2007 targets for this indicator, especially where the gap is quite wide, as is the case with several schools at present.

2.9.2 Although the Key Stage 4 results are encouraging, the percentage for 5+A*-C grades was two points short of the aggregate of targets that were set by schools. It is recognised that this may happen when schools set challenging targets. What is also clear, however, is that it is those schools where attainment is at or below the county average that contribute most to this shortfall. In 2005, for example, of all those schools that broadly met or exceeded their own targets, only a quarter were schools that attained below the county average.

3 Pupil Absence

3.1 Absence is measured by aggregating the sessions (half days) missed by each pupil during the school year and expressing that figure as a percentage of the total number of sessions, multiplied by the number of pupils. This gives the `percentage sessions absent'.

3.2 Headlines

3.2.1 Despite a slight increase during the academic year of 2004/05, the average absence level in Hampshire primary schools remains below the average levels of both our statistical neighbours and the national average. The percentage of sessions absent was 4.9% in Hampshire primary schools compared with 5.1% for our statistical neighbours and 5.5% across the country.

3.2.2 Although absence in Hampshire secondary schools in 2004/05 was also below the national average, it is slightly above the average when compared with our statistical neighbours. The percentage of sessions absent for Hampshire secondary schools was 7.5% compared with 7.8% for the country as a whole and 7.3% for our statistical neighbours.

3.3 Commentary

3.3.1 Recent evidence has confirmed that pupils who are regularly or intermittently absent from school perform less well in national tests and examinations and achieve less academically than those pupils who attend school regularly. This message is being relayed and emphasised to headteachers and governing bodies. All schools are offered advice and support by the Education Welfare Service (EWS) on how to help reduce pupil absence.

3.3.2 In a number of secondary schools where the level of absence is significantly above the county average, the EWS has been working closely with the Behaviour & Attendance consultants in analysing their absence data and suggesting `whole school' strategies which will help reduce pupil absence. At the same time, the EWS continues to take referrals from schools on individual pupils whose attendance is giving cause for concern.

3.3.3 The work of consultants in the Secondary Strategy helps schools to deal with non-attendance, not just as an indicator that needs to be improved but as part of a wider social and learning related problem that sometimes requires a multi-agency approach in order to deal with the most persistent of offenders. However, the practical complexity of securing success in these circumstances poses a challenge for Local Authorities and schools alike.

3.3.4 Although over 2250 `attendance' referrals were made to the EWS during the academic year 2004/05, the vast majority of these were resolved by supporting the pupil/family. In a minority of cases however, where poor attendance continued despite EWS intervention and where there was a lack of cooperation from the parent/carer, legal sanctions were imposed. Of those cases, between
1 September 2004 and 31 August 2005, there were 162 convictions at local magistrates courts resulting from a total of 177 proceedings initiated, although a number of those convictions related to cases where the proceedings were initiated during the previous academic year. In addition, between January 2005, when Penalty Notices were first introduced in Hampshire) and 31 August 2005, a total of 41 were issued. Many of these have automatically resulted in parental prosecution because of the non-payment of the Penalty Notice.

3.3.5 As evidence in Hampshire shows that the prosecution of parents/carers and the issuing of Penalty Notices has a limited effect on improving pupil attendance, the EWS continues to focus on addressing attendance problems by alternative means.

4 Exclusions

4.1 Headlines

4.1.1 The number of permanent exclusions from primary schools is very small and continues at a low level.

4.1.2 The number of permanently excluded students from secondary schools is much larger (by a factor of ten) and still above the percentage rate for the schools of statistical neighbours and England, although the gap is now closing.

4.1.3 In the last five years the number of fixed term exclusions has nearly doubled in Hampshire. There were 5,363 in the year 1999-2000 but a steady trend upwards reached 10,428 in 2003-2004, resulting in 36,851 days lost.

4.1.4 Accurate data relating to exclusions for 2004-2005 will not be available until January 2006. However, the trend will be very positive in Hampshire, with permanent exclusions across all phases down by just under a third, with the reduction in secondary schools being the most significant.

4.2 Commentary

4.2.1 The work undertaken by the Behaviour Support Teams in primary schools has been successful. Children at risk of exclusions have received support earlier and, in most cases, exclusion has been avoided.

4.2.2 The recent County Council admissions policy on children `hard to place' is designed to ensure that all schools recognise they should play their part in minimising the number of pupils who are permanently excluded. Models of local collaboration that have developed in places such as Basingstoke are being promoted elsewhere. The Children Act also places an increased responsibility on all educational institutions in a locality to work with the County Council in ensuring that no pupils are left out of learning.

5 Ofsted Inspections

5.1 This report usually includes information from statistics provided by Ofsted on school inspections in Hampshire over the previous year. As these data have not yet been released, a commentary will be included in the later report mentioned in paragraph 1.1.

6 Legal implications

6.1 None

7 Financial implications

7.1 None

8 Personnel implications

8.1 None

9 Impact assessment

9.1 Race and equality impact assessment has been considered in the development of this report and no adverse impact has been identified.

10 Crime Prevention Issues

10.1 Not applicable

11 Views of the Local County Councillor

11.1 Not applicable

Recommendations

1. That the achievements and commitment to improvement of schools and those who support them are commended.

2. That the report is distributed to all Hampshire headteachers and Governing Bodies.

Section 100 D - Local Government Act 1972 - background documents

The following documents discuss facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and have been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

None