Revised Key Stage 4 (KS4) performance data was published on Thursday. This covers the headline measures of Attainment 8, Progress 8, and English Baccalaureate (EBacc), as well as other GCSE and equivalent results. We have updated our analysis, previously carried out with provisional data, of KS4 results. Below, we look at performance across England and let you see how well your local area performed this year.
Headlines:
- The England average Progress 8 score for state-funded schools is -0.03. Regional averages range from -0.24 in the North East, to 0.22 in London. London is the only region with a positive average Progress 8 score
- The England average Attainment 8 score in state-funded schools is 46.8. Regionally, average Attainment 8 varies from 44.7 in the North East, to 49.7 in London
- The percentage of KS4 pupils in England entering the EBacc has risen to 40.1%, the highest figure on record. Regional average entry rates vary from 33.2% in the North East, to 53.8% in London
- Across England 25.1% of pupils achieved 9-4 in EBacc, while 17.2% achieved 9-5. Performance is best in London and the South East, and worst in the North East and the North West.
How well did your local authority perform?
There is substantial variation in KS4 performance across the country. London local authorities tend to score higher on Attainment 8, Progress 8 and EBacc entries, while local authorities in the North East and North West are less likely to score highly. Find your local authority on our map to see KS4 performance in your area:
Figure 1: KS4 performance across England
Progress 8:
- Barnet has the highest average Progress 8 scores at 0.58, with Ealing 2nd at 0.57
- Nine of the ten local authorities with the highest Progress 8 scores are in London. 16 of the top 20, and 24 of the top 40 are in London
- The three local authorities with the lowest Attainment 8 scores also have the three lowest Progress 8 scores
- 16 of the lowest scoring 20 local authorities are in the North East or the North West.
Attainment 8:
- Sutton has the highest average Attainment 8 at 58.6, while Knowsley has the lowest at 33.8
- Only three local authorities outside London rank in the top ten in England for Attainment 8 (Trafford, Buckinghamshire and Slough)
- The three local authorities with the lowest average Attainment 8 score are all in the North West. The North West has the biggest in-region variation, ranging from 33.8 to 56.1
- The average Attainment 8 score across London local authorities is 49.8, compared to 45.9 outside of London.
EBacc entry:
- Hammersmith and Fulham has the highest EBacc entry rate in England, with 72.7% of pupils entering EBacc, up 8% points on 2018
- All of the ten local authorities with the highest EBacc entry rates are in London. None of the 50 local authorities with the lowest EBacc entry rate are in London
- Eight of the ten local authorities with the lowest EBacc entry rates are in the North East or the North West.
EBacc achievement:
- At 48.1%, Hammersmith and Fulham has the highest proportion of pupils achieving 9-4 in EBacc in England
- The ten local authorities with the highest proportion of pupils achieving 9-4 in EBacc are all in London, with Trafford the highest scoring local authority outside London
- Sutton has the highest EBacc 9-5 achievement rate in England, at 38.0%. Blackpool has the lowest, with only 3.6% of pupils achieving 9-5 in EBacc
- There is large regional variation, with over a third of pupils in London achieving 9-4 in EBacc, compared with 20.2% in the North East. Looking at 9-5 EBacc achievement, regions vary between 13.2% (North East) and 24.0% (London).
Have a read of our analysis of EBacc entry and performance across England. We took a deeper look at what is driving London’s very high EBacc entry rate and average performance.
