Academic achievement of pupils in Foundation Phase baseline assessment and at Key Stage 3: 2022
A report looking at pupil achievements in Foundation Phase baseline assessment and at Key Stage 3, including information by gender, free school meals and level of achievement for 2022.
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Introduction
This is the first report on academic achievement in Foundation Phase baseline assessments and at Key Stage 3 since 2019. The data was not collected in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Foundation Phase baseline assessments are usually undertaken when a child enters reception class at age 4. Key Stage 3 results relate to 14 year olds. A new curriculum for Wales began being rolled out in schools and settings in September 2022. As a result, the baseline assessments for the 2021-22 academic year covered in this release relating to the curriculum for Wales 2008 will be the last.
Following consultation, end of Foundation Phase assessments and end of Key Stage 2 assessments were not required for 2022. These assessments were removed to create space for practitioners as they prepare their new curriculum and assessment arrangements and create flexibility for them to plan a smoother transition for learners. Additionally, Key Stage 3 assessments in special schools were not required in 2022.
Foundation Phase baseline assessments of pupils in reception class in schools
Since 2016, children in Wales undergo a statutory baseline assessment, using the Foundation Phase Profile, during their first 6 weeks following entry into primary school (Reception Class). This is used to determine the stage of development and interests of the child according to the Foundation Phase Profile and framework. Information on each area of learning (PSD, LCE, LCW, MDT and PDT) can be found in the previous link. Most assessments are undertaken when the child enters reception class at age 4, although schools are encouraged to assess the child on entry to the Foundation Phase, at whatever earlier age that may be.
The data reflect the wide range of developmental maturity that we expect at this age and is well within the normal range for children at entry to school, especially with the age variability at the point of school entry. The general expectation is that the majority of four year olds will be assessed at Outcome 2, with significant numbers also expected at Outcomes 1 and 3 in each area of learning. Outcome 2 or above means that a pupil is at a stage of development that is consistent with or greater than their age according to the framework. This release includes one of the national indicators used for the purpose of measuring progress towards the achievement of the 7 Wellbeing goals for Wales. This is national indicator 6, the measurement of the development of young children, and progress will be tracked using the Personal, Social Development, Wellbeing and Cultural Diversity area of learning. Please see the annual Wellbeing of Wales report for further information.
Percentage of pupils at each stage of development in Foundation Phase baseline assessment (MS Excel)
64% of pupils aged 4 are at a stage of development in personal and social development, well-being and cultural diversity that would be consistent with or greater than their age according to the framework (outcome 2 and above), with 87% of pupils within one stage of the development consistent with their age.
53% of pupils are at a stage of development in language, literacy and communication in English that would be consistent with or greater than their age, with 85% of pupils within one stage of the development consistent with their age.
27% of pupils aged 4 are at a stage of development in language, literacy and communication in Welsh that would be consistent with or greater than their age, with 63% of pupils within one stage of the development consistent with their age. This can be explained by the number of pupils from non-Welsh speaking households whose parents choose to enrol them at a Welsh medium school.
54% of pupils are at a stage of development in mathematical development that would be consistent with or greater than their age, with 87% of pupils within one stage of the development consistent with their age.
71% of pupils are at a stage of development in physical development that would be consistent with or greater than their age, with 91% of pupils within one stage of the development consistent with their age.
Foundation Phase baseline assessment results by gender and free school meal eligibility can also be found in the spreadsheet accompanying this release. Girls are more likely to be at a higher stage of development as are pupils who are not eligible for free school meals.
Key Stage 3
The Core Subject Indicator (CSI) at Key Stage 3 represents the percentage of pupils achieving Level 5 or above, based on teacher assessments, in English or Welsh (first language), Mathematics and Science in combination at the end of Key Stage 3, aged 14.
Percentage of pupils achieving the Key Stage 3 CSI (StatsWales)
78% of pupils achieved the CSI at Key Stage 3 in 2022, down from 86% in 2019. This fall may be partly due to the disruption to schools caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The percentage of pupils achieving the CSI at Key Stage 3 increased in every year from 2007 to 2018.
Percentage of pupils achieving Key Stage 3 levels in core subjects (StatsWales)
More than 85% of pupils achieved at least the expected level of Level 5 or above in each subject, from 85% in English to 88% in Welsh in 2022.
In each subject more than half of pupils achieved Level 6 or above.
Percentage of pupils achieving the Key Stage 3 CSI, by gender (StatsWales)
82% of girls and 75% of boys achieved the CSI at Key Stage 3 in 2022, a gap of 7 percentage points.
This is consistent with the gap between girls and boys of between 7 and 8 percentage points seen in the 5 years before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The gap since 2015 has generally been smaller than it was in the previous 15 years.
| Subject | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| English | 89.8 | 81.1 |
| Welsh | 93.1 | 82.5 |
| Mathematics | 87.1 | 84.7 |
| Science | 89.7 | 85.7 |
| Core subject indicator | 81.8 | 74.7 |
| Reading, writing and mathematics | 81.5 | 72.0 |
| Reading, writing, mathematics and science | 79.6 | 70.1 |
Source: National Data Collection
The gap between girls and boys in the percentage achieving at least the expected level was largest in Welsh (10.6 percentage points) and smallest in Mathematics (2.4 percentage points).
The gap between girls and boys in the percentage of pupils achieving at least the expected level in Reading and Writing (English or Welsh) and Mathematics and in Reading and Writing (English or Welsh), Mathematics and Science was 9.5 and 9.4 percentage points respectively in 2022.
84% of pupils not eligible for FSM and 59% of pupils eligible for FSM achieved the CSI at Key Stage 3 in 2022, a gap of 25 percentage points.
This is higher than the gap of around 20 percentage points seen in the 4 years before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The gap decreased each year between 2008 and 2018.
| Subject | Not FSM eligible | FSM eligible |
|---|---|---|
| English | 89.7 | 71.2 |
| Welsh | 90.5 | 69.9 |
| Mathematics | 90.0 | 72.2 |
| Science | 91.8 | 74.3 |
| Core Subject Indicator | 84.0 | 59.0 |
Source: National Data Collection
The gap between pupils not eligible for FSM and pupils eligible for FSM in the percentage achieving at least the expected level was largest in Welsh (20.6 percentage points) and smallest in Science (17.6 percentage points).
Further information
Key Stage 3 results for core subjects by pupil characteristics can be found on StatsWales. In general:
- pupils from a Chinese or Chinese British ethnic background had higher results than pupils from other ethnic backgrounds
- pupils studying English as an Additional Language had higher results where they were classified as ‘competent’ or ‘fluent’
- pupils with lower levels of additional learning or special educational needs had higher results
- pupils born earlier in the academic year had higher results than pupils born later in the year
- this is consistent with analysis from previous years
Key Stage 3 results for non-core subjects can also be found on StatsWales. The non-core subjects are:
- art and design
- design and technology
- geography
- history
- information and communication technology
- modern foreign languages
- music
- physical education
- Welsh second language
Quality and methodology information
National Statistics status
The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has designated these statistics as National Statistics, in accordance with the Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007 and signifying compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. National Statistics status means that official statistics meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and public value. All official statistics should comply with all aspects of the Code of Practice for Statistics. They are awarded National Statistics status following an assessment by the UK Statistics Authority’s regulatory arm. The Authority considers whether the statistics meet the highest standards of Code compliance, including the value they add to public decisions ad debate. The designation of these statistics as National Statistics was confirmed in July 2010 following a full assessment against the Code of Practice. Since the latest review by the Office for Statistics Regulation, we have continued to comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics, and have made the following improvements:
- added to and refined information about dimensions of quality and described links to policy
- made more data available on StatsWales
- improved the format to include charts which provide further insight into some of the key information
It is Welsh Government’s responsibility to maintain compliance with the standards expected of National Statistics. If we become concerned about whether these statistics are still meeting the appropriate standards, we will discuss any concerns with the Authority promptly. National Statistics status can be removed at any point when the highest standards are not maintained, and reinstated when standards are restored.
This section provides a summary of information on this output against five dimensions of quality: Relevance, Accuracy, Timeliness and Punctuality, Accessibility and Clarity, and Comparability. It also covers specific issues relating to quality of 2022 data and describes the quality management tool applied to this area of work.
Relevance
The statistics are used both within and outside the Welsh Government to monitor educational trends and as a baseline for further analysis of the underlying data. Some of the key users are:
- ministers and the Senedd Research in the Senedd
- members of the Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament
- education policy in the Welsh Government
- other government departments
- the research community
- LAs, schools and consortia
- ESTYN
- students, academics and universities
- individual citizens, private companies and the media
These statistics are used in a variety of ways. Some examples of these are:
- general background and research
- inclusions in reports and briefings
- advice to Ministers
- to inform the education policy decision-making process in Wales including school reorganisation
- the education domain of the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation
- to assist in research in educational attainment
Accuracy
The Welsh Government works closely with schools and local authorities in order to ensure all data are validated before tables are published. If there are any anomalies in the data compared with the previous year, the Welsh Government challenges schools and local authorities on anomalies in the data. Final data are signed off by schools and local authorities each year. Data is collated into an electronic return called the National Data Collection (NDC) and submitted to the Welsh Government through DEWi, a secure online data transfer system developed by the Welsh Government. Various stages of automated validation and sense-checking are built into the process to ensure a high quality of data.
More information on the Foundation Phase baseline assessment outcomes and the Key Stage 3 levels can be found in the National Data Collection technical completion notes.
Following a written statement by the Minister for Education in July 2018 and a consultation which ended in January 2018, teacher assessment data is no longer published at a school, local authority and consortia level. This is a significant move away from gathering information about young people’s performance on a school by school basis for accountability purposes.
The percentage of pupils achieving at least the expected level fell in 2019 in all core subjects/areas of learning at the end of Foundation Phase and for both Key Stages. This could be a reflection of these changes, whereby the prime purpose of teacher assessments has started to shift back to individual learners and away from holding schools to account.
Timeliness and punctuality
DEWi was available for uploading files on 10 May 2022, with schools asked to submit data for every pupil on roll at the school on 10 May for the relevant Phase/Key Stages. Schools and local authorities were then asked to validate their data within the validation period, which closed on 1 July 2022.
Accessibility and clarity
This Statistical First Release is pre-announced and then published on the Statistics section of the Welsh Government website. It is accompanied by an Open Document Spreadsheet and more detailed tables on StatsWales, a free to use service that allows visitors to view, manipulate, create and download data.
Comparability
Data for Wales is not comparable with other UK countries.
Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFG)
The Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 is about improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales. The Act puts in place seven wellbeing goals for Wales. These are for a more equal, prosperous, resilient, healthier and globally responsible Wales, with cohesive communities and a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language. Under section (10)(1) of the Act, the Welsh Ministers must (a) publish indicators (“national indicators”) that must be applied for the purpose of measuring progress towards the achievement of the Well-being goals, and (b) lay a copy of the national indicators before Senedd Cymru. Under section 10(8) of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, where the Welsh Ministers revise the national indicators, they must as soon as reasonably practicable (a) publish the indicators as revised and (b) lay a copy of them before the Senedd. These national indicators were laid before the Senedd in 2021. The indicators laid on 14 December 2021 replace the set laid on 16 March 2016.
This release includes one of the national indicators namely national indicator 6, the measurement of the development of young children, and progress will be tracked using the personal, social development, well-being and cultural diversity area of learning.
Information on the indicators, along with narratives for each of the wellbeing goals and associated technical information is available in the Well-being of Wales report.
Further information on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
The statistics included in this release could also provide supporting narrative to the national indicators and be used by public services boards in relation to their local wellbeing assessments and local wellbeing plans.
