GCSE results are a little different to how they have been reported in previous years, with more emphasis being placed on students’ progress throughout their educational career.
Schools will now publish how many pupils achieved a grade C or above in English and maths, the percentage of pupils achieving the English Baccalaureate (EBacc), a Progress 8 score which measures pupil progress across eight different subjects, and an Attainment 8 score which represents that average achievement of that school’s pupils across eight subjects.
The Progress 8 score will be calculated on pupils’ performance in eight qualifications, with each GCSE grade given a score from 8 to 1, where A* is equivalent to 8 and G is one.
The Attainment 8 score per pupil will include:
- Double-weighted maths score
- English literature or language score. The score will be doubled if both qualifications are taken
- The three-highest scores from any English Baccalaureate qualifications
- The three-highest scores in any other subjects
Pupils who do not complete enough qualifications will receive a zero if the slot is empty. Dividing the score by 10 will give the pupil’s average grade.
The score is measured by subtracting pupils’ Attainment 8 score at GCSE from what they were expected to get based on what they achieved before they left primary school.
Pupils who achieve exactly what they were expected to will receive a score of 0 – which will be interpreted as a ‘good’ score, and also the expected average for mainstream schools. The greater the score, the greater the progress that has been made over the course of that pupils’ secondary education.
If a school achieves a score of 1, therefore, it means all pupils achieved at least one grade higher on average than they were expected to achieve, or one grade higher than their peers nationally on average.
Schools achieving a Progress 8 score of +1 or more will be exempt from Ofsted inspections in the following year.
