Inspecting school and academy sixth forms

Using the sixth form PANDA, L3VA and sixth form data dashboard to plan the inspection

The following outlines a summary of the process of using data to formulate and address key inspection lines of enquiry and questions.

Inspection questions / Details / Tables / Section of the PANDA
Where further detail can be found
What does the sixth form look like? / Number on roll
Where they came from (internal/external)
Proportions in groups: gender, ethnicity
Number and proportion entitled to FSM or CLA when they were in Y11
Number entered for each qualification (course) or on level 2 courses only. / 1.1
1.2
1.3, 1.6
5.1
2.1, 2.2
1.4 / Section 1: Student characteristics
Section 5: Closing the gap
Section 2: Entries and retention
What isthe students’ prior attainment? / GCSE scores compared to national
FSM/CLA GCSE scores when in Year 11
GCSE English and mathematics
You need to follow through attainment of GCSE grade C+ in English and/or mathematics for those students who do not have this when they enter the sixth form. This will be included in the new DfE performance measures and tables.[1] / 3.4, 3.5
5.2
3.1 - 3.3 / Section 3: Prior attainment
Section 5: Closing the gap
Do they stay on course? / Retention from Year 12 to Year 13
Retention rate for qualifications / 1.2
2.1 / Section 1: Student characteristics
Section 2: Entries and retention
How well do they do?
(Progress) / Headline academic and vocational VA
3-year VA trend for GCSE A and AS
3-year VA trend for GCSE A and AS subjects
Note also the number of fails.
VA score (and fails) for other qualifications
GCSE English and maths transition
Detailed subject-level dataincluding scatter graphs showing individual students, and summary tables for each type of qualification that provide a useful overview. / 4.1
6.1, 6.2
6.6, 6.7
7.1 / Section 4: Headlines
Section 6: Three-year trends
Section 7: Other qualifications
Validated PANDA and dashboard
L3VA reports
How well do they do?
(Attainment) / Headline academic and vocational APS per student
Are minimum standards met?
3-year APS and threshold GCSE A and AS
APS for GCSE A and AS subjects
APS for other qualifications
APS per student for groups / 4.2
Dashb’d
6.3 - 6.5
6.6, 6.7
7.2
8.1 - 8.4 / Section 4: Headlines
Data dashboard
Section 6: Three-year trends
Section 7: Other qualifications
Section 8: Attainment of groups
How well is the achievement gap closing? / VA scores
APS per student
Compare particularly with national non-FSM/CLA; consider also the in-school gap. / Section 5: Closing the gap
What happens after they leave? / Destinations data
Destinations measures will be included in the new DfE performance measures and tables. / Validated PANDA and dashboard

Key points to note

  • in the new DFE performance measures, value added takes priority over attainment – schools should be tracking and analysing progress and value added as well as attainment data in preparation for this change – it will also have an impact on their self-evaluation of the sixth form
  • where students’ achievement, value added, is below average, or the number of fails is high, this should raise questions about the appropriateness of their individual study programmes as well as other factors such as the quality of teaching, effectiveness of monitoring etc. – this also links back to the quality of IAG they received about post-16 routes and programmes
  • in sixth forms, cohortscan be small and the confidence intervals (CI) on data large. You must take account of the CI; for example, check if the ‘bars cross the line’ in judging whether the data are below, in line with or above average
  • take account of the note on the front page of the PANDA about how AS is treated.

Jim Sage, NL 16-18, updated 14 July 2014: page 1

[1] These will be available from 2016. However, they will apply to students starting two-year programmes in September 2014. Schools should be tracking progress and self-evaluating using the new measures. More information on the new accountability measures: