Who counts in the DfE performance tables? | Juniper Education

Introduction: Summer and exam season

It's summer, and exam time has come around again already!

However, the focus is now shifting to the main event: Results Day!

But do all those Year 11 students sitting exams actually count in your school's headline figures?

Year 11 students and school headline figures

Schools will continue tracking their students' attainment and progress throughout the year, keenly checking their exam results. However, not all students may be included in the DfE calculations and published as part of your school’s performance measures. 

For KS4, the DfE reports on exam performance based on student information from the Spring Census. For the 23/24 Year 11 cohort, this date was Thursday, January 18, 2024.

The census considers students on roll at that date and their recorded key characteristics. In most cases, if a student is on roll on that date, they will be included in your school's headline results. However, as expected, there are some exceptions.

Exceptions to student inclusion

Guidance on the eligibility requirements for removing a student from your results is updated annually. Historically, this process has been part of the DfE June Checking Exercise, which this year transitions to the new Check Your Performance Measures Data (CYPMD). The CYPMD is set to go live on the secure DfE sign-in website in June 2024, replacing the previous Tables Checking site.

Eligibility for application to amend pupil inclusion

Eligibility for application to amend pupil inclusion has previously included:

• If a student arrived in the country in the last three years and joined you since the start of KS4, from a country where English is not the official language.
• Where a student has been permanently excluded from a school in the last two years, another school that accepts them can apply to exclude that student’s results.
• Other requests may include where a student has left England permanently, sadly passed away, or is officially reported as being a Child Missing in Education (CME).

Note that applications to remove a student require evidence.

Penalty add-backs

This refers to how the results of students reaching age 16 before Year 11 are accounted for. These students are always reported in a school’s results the year after they have been in Year 10, which ensures there is no possibility of them repeatedly being counted as not having reached the end of secondary school.

Headline measures: Progress 8

Note that for the specific headline figure of Progress 8, students on roll are only included in this calculation if they have a valid KS2 prior attainment Scaled Score.

Need to speak to a data expert?

Managing results day, analysing student performance data, and gearing up for the end of term can feel like a lot.

Luckily, for our school customers, that's what we do best. We've even created a free downloadable guide to help you decipher Who counts in the DfE's Performance Table. 

Need guidance from a data expert to make the most of your school's data? Let us help you put your data under the microscope. 

Reach out, and we'll lend a hand.

You can also check out our helpful article on 'How to Set Up Spring Census Student Data' in KS4 for accurate headline figures on Results Day.

Or the DfE's official guide on Performance Measure Data Checks for KS4.