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Primary tables three months late | Primary tables three months late |
(31 minutes later) | |
This year's primary school "league tables" in England will be published next March - three months late, the government has announced. | This year's primary school "league tables" in England will be published next March - three months late, the government has announced. |
A postponement had been expected because of the marking fiasco. | A postponement had been expected because of the marking fiasco. |
The fact that the deadline for appeals had to be pushed back from July until September is the main reason. | The fact that the deadline for appeals had to be pushed back from July until September is the main reason. |
Schools Minister Jim Knight had said the official inquiry into what went wrong, by Lord Sutherland, also meant the timetable would probably slip. | Schools Minister Jim Knight had said the official inquiry into what went wrong, by Lord Sutherland, also meant the timetable would probably slip. |
TABLES SCHEDULE May - Key Stage 2 and 3 tests taken by children aged 10/11 and 13/14July - results usually returned to schoolsAugust - provisional national and local authority results publishedMarch 2009 - postponed from December 2008 - tables published showing results for each schoolJanuary (not affected by the problems this year) - main secondary school and college tables based on results of public exams including GCSEs and A/AS-levels This has now been confirmed. The delay also affects the Key Stage 3 results achieved by Year 9 pupils in secondary schools. | TABLES SCHEDULE May - Key Stage 2 and 3 tests taken by children aged 10/11 and 13/14July - results usually returned to schoolsAugust - provisional national and local authority results publishedMarch 2009 - postponed from December 2008 - tables published showing results for each schoolJanuary (not affected by the problems this year) - main secondary school and college tables based on results of public exams including GCSEs and A/AS-levels This has now been confirmed. The delay also affects the Key Stage 3 results achieved by Year 9 pupils in secondary schools. |
The main secondary school tables, drawn from GCSE and A-level results and published each January, are not affected however. | The main secondary school tables, drawn from GCSE and A-level results and published each January, are not affected however. |
Delivery of results back to schools was badly delayed this year by problems at ETS Europe, which has now lost the contract to administer the tests in future. | Delivery of results back to schools was badly delayed this year by problems at ETS Europe, which has now lost the contract to administer the tests in future. |
'Chaotic' | 'Chaotic' |
Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said: "This is a direct consequence of the government's appalling handling of this year's Sats tests. | Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said: "This is a direct consequence of the government's appalling handling of this year's Sats tests. |
"Thousands of parents may not have up-to-date information on their local primary schools in time to make their choices for next year because of Ed Balls's chaotic exam regime. | "Thousands of parents may not have up-to-date information on their local primary schools in time to make their choices for next year because of Ed Balls's chaotic exam regime. |
"Yet ministers still refuse to apologise for their mistakes and we still don't know what is happening with next year's tests." | "Yet ministers still refuse to apologise for their mistakes and we still don't know what is happening with next year's tests." |
The league tables - officially the school achievement and attainment tables - show the percentage of pupils in each school who reached the level expected for their age in English, maths and science. | The league tables - officially the school achievement and attainment tables - show the percentage of pupils in each school who reached the level expected for their age in English, maths and science. |
There is also a "contextual value added" score showing how much progress they have made during their time in the school, along with associated information and results. | There is also a "contextual value added" score showing how much progress they have made during their time in the school, along with associated information and results. |
In some parts of the country even their usual publication date is too late to influence parents' decisions about a school for their child on the basis of the latest results, because it comes after the deadline for applications. | In some parts of the country even their usual publication date is too late to influence parents' decisions about a school for their child on the basis of the latest results, because it comes after the deadline for applications. |
'Range of information' | |
But in others - where the deadline is as late as February - parents will be denied that information. | But in others - where the deadline is as late as February - parents will be denied that information. |
However, a Department for Children, Schools and Families spokeswoman said: "Of course the delays to test results are regrettable. | |
"However, in any normal year this school level data is generally published after application deadlines to primary and secondary schools. | |
"We know parents use a range of information when choosing a school for their child including previous years' results, Ofsted reports, school prospectuses and most importantly visiting the school and talking to teachers. | |
"Achievement and Attainment Tables provide important information about a school's performance for parents to consider but as we have always said they are only part of the picture when choosing a school." | |
The tests - popularly known by the misnomer "Sats" - are a measure of children's achievement against targets in England's national curriculum. | The tests - popularly known by the misnomer "Sats" - are a measure of children's achievement against targets in England's national curriculum. |
There is no equivalent national publication of test results for other parts of the UK. | There is no equivalent national publication of test results for other parts of the UK. |
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