This series of articles will be looking at Ofsted’s Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR).

In our series about the IDSR we had a look at how your school’s Key Stage 2 Progress scores are shown in the IDSR in chart form, and the significance of your school’s progress scores.

In this article, we’ll have a look at the calculation.

Your pupil’s Scaled Scores

In May, most of your pupils take exams in Reading, Writing and Grammar, Punctuation and Spelling. Their marks (also known as a “raw score”) is then converted into a “scaled score” between 80 and 120, where 100 is a pass mark and 110 is a high score – the DfE decides after the exams how the scaled score conversion is to be done.

For the pupils that didn’t take the test, then your Teacher Assessment is converted in a Scaled Score of between 59 to 79. In 2017 and 2018, the conversion was as follows:

  • Scaled scores P1i to P4 – between 59 and 61.
  • Scaled scores P5 to P8 – between 63 and 69.
  • Below the pre-key stage standard – 71.
  • Pre-key stage Foundations (PKF) – 73.
  • Pre-key stage Early Development (PKE) – 76.
  • Pre-key stage Growing Development (PKG) – 79.

(In 2019, this will be different, as Pre-key stage development will be measured in Scaled scores P1i to P4, and Standards 1 to 6.)

Your pupils’ Writing Teacher Assessments are also converted into Scaled Scores as follows:

  • Scaled scores and Pre-key stage assessments – between 59 and 79 as above.
  • Working Towards the Standard (WTS) – 91.
  • Working at the Expected Standard (EXS) – 103.
  • Working at a Greater Depth within the Expected Standard (GDS) – 113.

More details can be found in the DfE’s Primary School Accountability document.

Key Stage 1 Prior Attainment (Average Point Score)

KS1 APS

When your pupils took their Key Stage 1 Assessments, they were given a Reading, Writing and Maths outcome. These are then combined to give a Key Stage 1 Average Point Score, as follows:

  • The Reading point score is divided by 4.
  • The Writing point score is divided by 4.
  • The Maths point score is divided by 2.

The Teacher Assessments are converted into points as follows:

  • Level 4 – 27 points.
  • Level 3 – 21 points.
  • Level 2A – 17 points.
  • Level 2B or 2 – 15 points.
  • Level 2C – 13 points.
  • Level 1 – 9 points.
  • W (Working toward Level 1) – between 0.25 and 3 points, depending on P-level.

If any pupils had an M (missing), D (disapplied) or A (absent) for any subject, they do not have an Key Stage 1 Average Point Score.

Again, more details can be found in the DfE’s Primary School Accountability document.

Progress calculation

The DfE has created 24 Prior Attainment Groups, based on their Key Stage 1 Average Point Score. For all pupils who are in a particular PAG, their Scaled Scores are averaged. The below are the figures for the unvalidated 2018 tests.

KS1 average points scoreAverage KS2 Reading Score for PAGAverage KS2 Writing Score for PAGAverage KS2
Mathematics Score for PAG
>0 to <1.7561.9761.8562.07
>=1.75 to <267.3066.7467.28
>=2 to <2.2570.5370.1870.38
>=2.25 to <2.573.7373.4173.57
>=2.5 to <2.7576.9976.6477.11
>=2.75 to <380.8579.8381.31
>=3 to <684.1582.3685.19
>=6 to <987.7985.2788.85
>=9 to <1090.6688.4690.67
>=10 to <1295.1192.4194.87
>=12 to <1397.5594.1997.65
>=13 to <1499.1496.7698.55
>=14 to <14.5100.6698.63100.33
>=14.5 to <15101.9299.42101.4
>=15 to <15.5102.93101.17102.3
>=15.5 to <16104.70102.15103.05
>=16 to <16.5104.81102.64104.5
>=16.5 to <17106.20103.14105.45
>=17 to <18107.45104.68105.94
>=18 to <19108.72105.6107.32
>=19 to <20109.60106.89108.62
>=20 to <21110.44107.16110.62
>=21 to <21.5112.55110.13111.87
>= 21.5115.14111.6115.44

For your pupils who have a Key Stage 2 Scaled Score and a Key Stage 1 Average Point Score, then their progress score is calculated as follows:

  • Progress =
    • Pupil’s Scaled Score
    • minus
    • National Average Scaled Score for their Prior Attainment Group (PAG).

From 2018, there is a minimum progress that a pupil can get; between -10.5 and -27.5 depending on Key Stage 1 APS. If a pupil’s Progress Score is below this level, then it gets increased. This affects around 1% of all pupils.

Floor and Coasting Standard

The Floor Standard, the minimum standard the DfE expects your school to get, is largely measured in Progress Scores. To meet the floor standard you have to get at least:

  • -5 in Reading, -5 in Maths and -7 in Writing (all 3 targets must have been achieved), OR
  • 65% of pupils reach the standard in Reading, Writing and Maths combined.

So you have to be in excess than 5 Scaled Scores below your National counterparts. And a Scaled Score is approximately one and a half questions in Reading and three marks in Maths.

There is also the coasting standard. This is tougher.

  • Instead of -5, -5 and -7, you will need to achieve at least -2.5, -2.5 and -3.5 in all three subjects.
  • Instead of 65%, it is 85%.

However, you only have to pass it once in the last three years. If not, the Regional Schools Commissioner will inquire to see if your school needs additional support.

The Floor and Coasting Standard is due to change in 2019.

Where is your Key Stage 2 progress score used?

Compare School Performance website

Your school’s KS2 progress score is used in many places:


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