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Exams: Special Educational Needs

Volume 480: debated on Wednesday 8 October 2008

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many and what proportion of children classified as having (a) hearing and (b) vision impairment achieved the national standard in key stage (i) 1, (ii) 2 and (iii) 3 tests in each year since the introduction of the tests; (223755)

(2) how many and what proportion of children classified as having (a) hearing and (b) vision impairment achieved five A* to C grades in their GCSE exams in each of the last 10 years;

(3) how many and what proportion of children classified as having (a) hearing and (b) vision impairment achieved five A* to C grades including mathematics and English in their GCSE exams in each of the last 10 years.

The Department only collects data by type of special educational need for children at School Action Plus or with statements. School Action Plus, under the SEN Code of Practice, enables a school to receive some external help to meet a child's SEN. An SEN statement is drawn up by a local authority, following an assessment, when it is necessary to determine the special educational provision which a child's learning difficulties call for.

The available 2007 information is attached to the Statistical First Release (SFR) National Curriculum Assessment, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2006/07.

KS2 can be found in Table 73 (key stage 2 attainment by SEN stage and primary SEN type) and at KS4 is in Table 74 (key stage 4 attainment for pupils at School Action Plus or with statements by primary SEN type). This information can be found at

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000759/SFR38_2007_Additional_100708.xls.

A similar analysis was also carried out in 2006 and the relevant information is given as follows.

This information is not available for years before 2005 when type of SEN information for pupils was not collected. Information for 2005 can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Having published this data in 2007, the Department will publish it for subsequent years when the data are available.

The analysis only relates to the primary SEN type of pupils. Some of these children may also have a secondary SEN type which has not been taken into consideration in the analysis.

Percentage of pupils achieving level 2 or above in key stage 1 assessments

Number of pupils with a hearing impairment at School Action Plus = 505

Number of pupils with a visual impairment at School Action Plus = 320

Number of pupils with a hearing impairment with statements = 415

Number of pupils with a visual impairment with statements = 230

Reading

Writing

Maths

Science

School Action Plus

Hearing impairment

73

65

80

78

Visual impairment

64

58

75

73

Statement

Hearing impairment

40

34

53

45

Visual impairment

52

51

62

61

Note:

Figures relate to seven-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August) in maintained schools.

Percentage of pupils achieving level 4 or above at key stage 2 tests

English

Maths

Science

Percentage achieving Level 4+

Total eligible pupils

Percentage achieving Level 4+

Total eligible pupils

Percentage achieving Level 4+

Total eligible pupils

School Action Plus

Hearing impairment

63

550

61

550

75

550

Visual impairment

67

290

63

290

81

290

Statement

Hearing impairment

30

495

36

500

48

500

Visual impairment

48

300

49

300

66

300

Note:

Figures relate to 11-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August) in maintained schools.

Percentage of pupils achieving level 5 or above at key stage 3 tests

English

Maths

Science

Percentage achieving Level 5+

Total eligible pupils

Percentage achieving Level 5+

Total eligible pupils

Percentage achieving Level 5+

Total eligible pupils

School Action Plus

Hearing impairment

59

655

63

655

57

655

Visual impairment

59

285

68

285

65

285

Statement

Hearing impairment

29

565

39

580

31

585

Visual impairment

47

395

53

390

49

390

Note:

Figures relate to 13-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August) in maintained schools.

Percentage of pupils achieving 5 or more GCSE A*-C grades (or equivalent)

Number of pupils with a hearing impairment at School Action Plus = 595

Number of pupils with a visual impairment at School Action Plus = 240

Number of pupils with a hearing impairment with statements = 505

Number of pupils with a visual impairment with statements = 370

5 or more GCSE A*-C grades (or equivalent)

5 or more GCSE A*-C grades including English and Mathematics (or equivalent)

School Action Plus

Hearing impairment

46

33

Visual impairment

46

32

Statement

Hearing impairment

31

18

Visual impairment

44

30

Note:

Figures relate to pupils at the end of key stage 4 in maintained schools.