How to use your KS2 SATs results to improve school outcomes

Did you know the full breakdown of your KS2 SATs results is available every year?

The KS2 SATs give a validated indication of each of your students strengths and weaknesses and the results are made available every year by the DfE – broken down to performance in each individual question via analyse school performance.

These are standardised assessments – marked independently – and so give a great overview of your school curriculum and how successfully it guided your Year 6 to achieve their potential.

Or more importantly, it can provide the keys to unlock your curriculum and raise attainment across your school for many years to come… and yet, so many schools simply do not use this resource even though it is free and easy to download!!

But this is data from the past…

We agree but by looking back at how your full Year 6 cohort performed, you may be able to see gaps that surely suggest more about how they were taught than it was the same error across all 30 students. By digging deeper into the results, you may be able to create

• A focus on explaining inferences that will change outcomes one year later.
• Whole school literacy programmes that will change outcomes two years later.
• CPD to challenge the teaching of algebra that will change outcomes three years later.

We could go on but small steps could be found that could make a huge impact in your school.

I don’t have the time or ability to do this…

This is possibly the main reason why most schools don’t use the results breakdown from the DfE. The results appear as numbers but don’t give you the detail you need to dive deeper. What you need is Question Level Analysis…

Question Level Analysis

Question Level Analysis (or QLA) has been described by some as a “magic bullet”. It breaks assessment data down into meaningful insight – looking instead at topics or cohorts rather than individual answers. This aggregation allows you to see patterns emerging which can be the drivers to implement change.

QLA is often used to look at the results of a mock exam. Here, the aggregated analysis gives clear guidance for teaching on topics where pupil didn’t perform well or individual intervention plans to help those who need more 1 to1 attention.

BUT why not use it backwards too… The same logic can apply.

By digging deep, could you find the “magic bullet” to change your school?

But that sounds very Time Consuming?

That is where we come in..

“After showing our Executive Headteacher the quality of the analysis you have provided, she has asked me to let you know how impressed we are with the analysis, including the speed we received it. We could never have achieved the same depth of analysis with the equivalent cost of staff time.“

Assistant Headteacher, Sheffield

QLA Results

Our QLA Results takes the raw data from the DfE – sent in to us by schools across the country – and aggregates it for you in a easy-to-read PDF report sent directly back to your inbox.

We don’t just give you numbers – we give you the tools for you to use to carry out your own deep dive. All your results are explained in plain English and shown through graphs and tables. Infact, Headteachers, Governors and School Improvement Advisors have all praised our reports as being “Accessible to all”, “Time saving” and “Outstanding Best Value!”.

Our Detailed Analysis includes..

A Full Summary

A clear starting point – focussing in on the headlines and points for you to focus on as the deeper analysis continues.

Topic Insight

We divide up the questions into bespoke Topics – allowing you to look back and address the learning gaps across your school.

Type of Question

Is there one particular question type which is a problem to your pupils? This analysis can be used to pinpoint exactly where to focus your intervention.

Analysis of every Cohort

We break the results down into your various cohorts – gender, disadvantaged, SEN, EAL and prior attainment allowing you to focus in on the areas in need.

Individual Pupil Profiles

Our pupil profiles allow you to see where marks were lost and gained band provides detailed evidence to help guide your search for improvements across the school.

Does it Work?

There are many schools who have bought and used QLA Results over the past 12 years. Many of whom returned year after year wanting the analysis over and over again. You can read their feedback by clicking here.

We recently worked out that 80% of schools who used DAISI QLA consistently over three years have seen an increase in their attainment. We cannot take the credit for this as it is up to how the school uses the analysis provided but we know it clearly made a difference. You can read about one in our Case Study – How QLA helped to improve our results.

“We find the Question Level Analysis from DAISI invaluable at Seely Primary and Nursery School. In my role as deputy headteacher of a big school as well as assessment coordinator, there is no way I would have the time or capacity to complete QLA to the level and in the detail that the DAISI team do. They saved me days of work and the information this gives me allows us to develop whole school targets that we can show improved the attainment of our pupils.”

Deputy Headteacher, Nottingham

“Thank you ever so much for the QLA reports & the subsequent updates. The service we have received from yourselves & the attention to detail have been fantastic. We have found the reports to be incredibly useful & they are helping us to shape our school improvement priorities for the coming year.”

Headteacher, Holy Trinity CE Junior School, Ripon