Support Kent Schools
The Kent secondary picture:

SKS supports the performance of all Kent secondary schools; the viability of grammar schools hinges on the success of the whole secondary system, which in Kent is a success story.
Kent LEA has the combination of significant deprivation (99th /148 on Ofsted multiple deprivation index), together with the typical difficulties of the Southeast in recruitment, retention and costs, plus extraordinary pressures on the schools system from asylum-seekers and looked-after children (800 imported from other authorities).

The primary baseline:
The Primary phase in Kent has struggled over decades to raise its achievement, after a history of inadequate pre-school provision, but still at KS1 and KS2 Kent is performing below both the national average and Statistical Neighbours: Kent 9th/9 at KS 2 in 1999(Table 1)., 8th/9 in 2002 (Table 2).

87% of the schools in special measures or serious weaknesses in Kent are in the primary phase.
It is on this platform of experience and attainment in the primary phase, that the secondary phase starts its work.

The Secondary statistics:
Kent has a diverse secondary system (33 GS, 18 comprehensive, 52 “High” ie Secondary Modern). Kent often suffers from inappropriate statistical comparisons against comprehensive norms. Owing to the high proportion of selective and non-selective schools, different bases for comparison are needed. The innovation of Value-Added comparative statistics is particularly helpful in analysing the achievement of such a diverse sector.

Kent is at the top of its statistical neighbours in tackling KS3 (Table 3)

TABLE 3 ranked by: KS3  Value Added
Kent	100.6
Essex	100.6
West Sussex	100.1
Bedfordshire	100.1
Nottinghamshire	100.1
Gloucestershire	100.0
Northamptonshire	100.0
Worcestershire	99.9
England	99.8
Lancashire	99.5

The pre-selection of pupils by ability enables secondary schools to home in quickly on their new pupils and provide teaching tuned accurately to their needs; Both GS and SM in Kent manage the transition to secondary school better than the typical comprehensive setting, where the pupils may easily fail to signal their individual capabilities for 6 months or a year. The manageable size of Year 7, even in our biggest secondary schools (only 20% are larger than 1000), contributes to the rapid settling in and quicker engagement in constructive learning. Thus the diverse system in Kent is in fact a strength.

Having made that impressive start in KS3 to their secondary careers, Kent pupils maintain their position through KS4 (Table 4 and 5: ranked by scores).

TABLE 4: ranked by: KS3 av. pts. SCORE			TABLE 5: ranked by: KS4 GCSE av pts. SCORE
West Sussex	35.8		Gloucestershire	38.2
Gloucestershire	35.2		West Sussex	35.8
Kent	34.8		Kent	35.7
Lancashire	34.3		Essex	35.5
Essex	34.2		Lancashire	35.3
Worcestershire	34.1		England	34.7
Bedfordshire	33.9		Bedfordshire	34.6
England	33.7		Worcestershire	34.3
Northamptonshire	33.7		Northamptonshire	34.2
Nottinghamshire	33.2		Nottinghamshire	33.2

Schools and LEAs find it harder (for statistical reasons) to demonstrate value-added at KS4 when they have already added high value in the previous Key Stage; statistical neighbours catch up with Kent in adding value to their KS3 achievement, (Table 6)

TABLE 6: ranked by: KS4 Value Added
Northamptonshire	100
Essex	99.6
Lancashire	98.9
Bedfordshire	98.9
West Sussex	98.7
Gloucestershire	98.5
England	98.5
Worcestershire	98.4
Nottinghamshire	98.4
Kent	98

but Kent retains its high ranking among statistical neighbours of 3rd/ 9 at KS4. (Table 5).

Conclusion:
The overall picture is of a secondary system in Kent which, although complex to administer, demonstrates impressive recovery from a low baseline primary attainment and, because selection enables accurate matching of provision to pupils, answers the challenge of the “KS3 dip” better than comparable systems and builds up to a high position among its statistical neighbours.

Notes on figures:

• “Statistical Neighbours” are those used by OFSTED (David Bell’s letter of 15 January 2003).
• All LEA and England figures from DfES website: http//:www.dfes.gov.uk/performancetables.

Anthony Stanton, Support Kent Schools 12 May, 2003
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