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National Curriculum Tests: Disadvantaged

Volume 492: debated on Friday 15 May 2009

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many pupils in receipt of free school meals achieved level (a) 7 and (b) 8 in Key Stage 3 examinations in (i) English, (ii) mathematics and (iii) science in (A) 1997, (B) 2002, (C) 2005 and (D) the latest year for which figures are available; (262262)

(2) how many and what percentage of pupils (a) eligible and (b) ineligible for free school meals achieved level 8 at Key Stage 3 in each of the last three years.

The requested information is not available for 1997 as prior to 2002 individual pupil characteristic information was not collected. The introduction of the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) in January 2002, which collects such information, meant that from 2002, pupil characteristic data could be matched to attainment data, allowing analyses of different groups of pupils.

The 2002 information is shown as follows:

Eligible pupilsNumber of pupils achieving KS3 level 7Number of pupils achieving KS3 level 8Percentage of pupils achieving KS3 level 8

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

Non FSM

496,439

497,397

497,912

56,510

91,789

55,646

5,924

21,831

4,782

1

4

1

FSM

96,741

97,299

97,488

2,663

5,120

2,126

177

542

69

0

1

0

All pupil1

598,309

600,141

600,849

59,493

97,438

58,109

6,131

22,563

4,893

1

4

1

1 Includes pupils for whom FSM information was not sought or for which information was refused

The 2005 information is shown as follows:

Eligible pupilsNumber of pupils achieving KS3 level 7Number of pupils achieving KS3 level 8Percentage of pupils achieving KS3 level 8

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

Non FSM

512,353

512,162

512,626

53,377

113,581

67,435

30,342

6

FSM

94,804

94,689

94,875

2,048

7,240

2,313

901

1

All pupil1

611,274

610,947

611,629

55,630

121,325

69,986

31,365

5

1 Includes pupils for whom FSM information was not sought or for which information was refused.

The 2006 information is shown as follows:

Eligible pupilsNumber of pupils achieving KS3 level 7Number of pupils achieving KS3 level 8Percentage of pupils achieving KS3 level 8

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

Non FSM

512,623

513,092

513,371

56,270

125,629

84,998

45,137

9

FSM

90,671

90,700

90,855

2,364

9,233

3,362

1,543

2

All pupil1

607,174

607,707

608,156

58,903

135,469

88,756

46,894

8

1 Includes pupils for whom FSM information was not sought or for which information was refused.

The 2007 information is shown as follows:

Eligible pupilsNumber of pupils achieving KS3 level 7Number of pupils achieving KS3 level 8Percentage of pupils achieving KS3 level 8

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

English

Maths

Science

Non FSM

495,289

495,655

496,155

44,577

114,235

84,570

44,471

9

FSM

86,713

86,708

86,846

1,749

8,234

3,519

1,652

2

All pupil1

582,002

582,363

583,001

46,326

122,469

88,089

46,123

8

1 Includes pupils for whom FSM information was not sought or for which information was refused.

From 2003, level 8 can be achieved only in mathematics following the end of extension papers at KS3.

National Curriculum Assessment and GCSE/GNVQ Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2002 (final) and 2003 (provisional) can be found in SFR04/2004, at:

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000448/index.shtml

The National Curriculum Assessments by Pupil Characteristics, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2005 can be found in SFR09/2006, at:

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000640/index.shtml

The National Curriculum Assessments by Pupil Characteristics, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2005/06 (Provisional) can be found in SFR46/2006, at:

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000693/index.shtml

The National Curriculum Assessments by Pupil Characteristics, GCSE and Equivalent Attainment and Post-16 Attainment by Pupil Characteristics, in England 2006/07 can be found in SFR38/2007, at:

http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s000759/index.shtml