Published: Thursday, 7th August, 2008 09:00
The results are out... of context, thanks to marking mess up
By Annabel Williams
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PROVISIONAL key stage two results for schools across Reading were released on Tuesday but interpreting their true meaning is being hampered by missing test papers and changes in the marking system.
SAT exams taken by 11-year-olds before the summer holidays have proved a shambles up and down the country, with hundreds of youngsters leaving year six without their results because of delays and blunders by Government-hired contractor, ETS.
In the Reading borough, 13% of all pupils’ English marks were missing, with the figures at 2% for maths and 4% for science.
Youngsters are expected to reach level four in each subject and, of those counted, 75% of youngsters in Reading borough schools reached the standard in English, down 2% from last year.
In maths, 74% of youngsters got level four, up 1% from last year, but science was down 2% to 85%.
Borough spokesman Chris Branagan said: “Reading primary schools have returned about 100 English test papers for re-marking out of a total of about 1,400, which, in a relatively small local authority like Reading, could affect the overall percentage of children who have achieved the expected standard.
“The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has pointed out that comparisons with previous years are skewed by a change in the marking process this year.
“This involved removing the practice known as borderlining, which involved double checking all the test scripts with marks just below the benchmark level to see if they warranted any extra marks.”
The DCSF estimates that borderlining’s removal could reduce percentages by up to 1.2% in English, 0.2% in maths and 0.5% in science.
For West Berkshire Council-run primary schools, 10% of English results were missing, 6% for maths and 8% for science.
The district’s pupils scored the same as last year for level four English with 82%.
Maths was 3% down to 77% and science was 3% down from last year to 88%.
Nationally, 6% of pupils’ English marks were missing, 3% in maths and 3% in science. In England, an average of 81% achieved level four in English, down 1% from last year, 78% reached the standard in maths, up by 1%, and the science result stayed at 88%.
In Wokingham borough, 9% of English marks were missing, 4% of maths marks were unaccounted for but 100% of science results were included.
Wokingham borough primary schools with incomplete English results include Farley Hill, Lambs Lane in Spencers Wood, Aldryngton and Hawkedon in Earley, Colleton in Twyford, Highwood in Woodley, Shinfield St Mary’s and Aborfield.
Rivermead, St Dominic Savio and Southlake in Woodley and Hillside in Earley are among those Wokingham borough primaries with incomplete maths results.
Despite the missing papers, Wokingham borough was ranked third in the country for English with 88% of children getting level four, up 1% on last year.
In maths, the borough was fifth in the country with 84%, up 6%.
The borough was also ranked fifth for science, with 92% achieving level four, up 4% on last year.
Cllr John Kersley, children’s services deputy leader, said: “It has been a difficult few weeks for many pupils who have had to wait. We are indeed still waiting for a complete set of results which we do not expect for some weeks.
“We have good results year on year, and today we have seen a further improvement at almost every subject at level four, which is a real credit to everyone involved.
“The provisional results published today demonstrate that Wokingham borough primary school pupils are gaining excellent skills to provide strong foundations for their future education success.”
Laura Johnson, who lives off Northumberland Avenue, Whitley, said: “My sister’s son got his SATs results a couple of days late but before he broke up from school in Whitley.
“He got a 4 for English and Maths and a 3 for Science.
“She was a bit disappointed as the 3 is obviously below average but was pleased with the others. I don’t think it’s such a big thing as everyone is making it out to be.
"It’s terrible if the papers are being marked wrongly but I don’t think that many are wrong, and they aren’t life or death at the end of the day.
“The children all worked hard and wanted to do well, that’s the main thing.”
Reading mum-of-two Emily Jones’ 11-year-old daughter got 4 for all her subjects.
She said: “I’m very pleased. All the children did so much work in the run up to the SATs, it was quite stressful at the time.
“One of my friends had her child’s paper sent back to be re-marked as it was so close to a 5 and he was expected to get all 5s.”
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