The vast majority of pupils in England and Wales study for GCSE's, usually taking their final exams at age 15-16. Pupils typically sit 8-10 GCSE exams at age 16, but may often sit more or less. Our data is from exams taken in 2009 - for which data was first releaesd in early 2010.
GCSE's are graded from A* (A Star) through to G then, below this, fail. Grade C is typically seen as a "satisfactory" standard and is also sometimes referred to as "Level 2" attainment at GCSE.
5 GCSEs measures the percentage of pupils at the school eligible for exams, achieving 5 GCSEs graded A*- C. It is a good measure of the spread of basic attainment in the school.
+ Eng/ Maths measures the percentage of pupils at the school eligible for exams, achieving 5 GCSEs graded A*-C including English and Mathematics subjects. It is a good measure of the spread of satisfactory attainment in the school.
One language measures the percentage of pupils achieving at least a grade C in one modern language.
Two sciences measures the percentage of puipls achieving at least a grade C in two sciences.
Average point score is the most comprehensive single measure of performance. It measures the average GCSE points achieved per student. Points are related to grades as follows. So an average point score at a school of 280 points might be equivalent to an average of 7 grade Cs at GCSE level.
| Grade | Points |
| A* | 58 |
| A | 52 |
| B | 46 |
| C | 40 |
| D | 34 |
| E | 28 |
| F | 22 |
| G | 16 |
CVA or Contextual Value Added is a measure of the progress the pupils make from their previous exams at primary (key stage 2) exams aged 11. This is an important measure because it can show when a school is achieving high results because it is adding value to its pupils versus a school which may only be doing well only because it teaches an advantaged pupil group.
The average value here is 1000. A score above 1000 indicates the school is achieving proportionately higher results than its pupil group achieved at key stage 2. A score below 1000 indicates the school is achieving lower results than might otherwise be expected.