What is Progress 8?
As of summer 2016, schools in England are being judged by four new accountability measures.
• Percentage achieving A* - C in the five English Baccalaureate subject areas
• Percentage achieving A* - C in both English and mathematics
• Attainment 8: average attainment by each pupil in their best eight subjects
• Progress 8: progress made by each pupil in the same eight subjects.
The first two measures are similar to those used previously and are fairly straightforward to understand. But Attainment 8 and Progress 8 are significantly different and more complex.
Daisy Christodoulou, Head of Assessment at Ark, explains the new measures in this short film:
Spotlight on Nadia, student at King Solomon Academy
Nadia Ezbakh studied her GCSEs at Ark King Solomon Academy in London. Nadia received 10 A*s and an A after enduring sleepless nights waiting for her results.
“I was so surprised. I didn’t think I’d do that well. I’m really proud of these results and excited about what this means for my future. I’m really grateful to King Solomon Academy and all my teachers for the support that they’ve given me.”
Principal Max Haimendorf said, “Our high progress 8 score is very much linked to the quality of our teachers. We’ve just had our first cohort of kids going off to university. Our mission is to make it possible for every child to go to university and be successful, regardless of their background or prior attainment.”