Academic Achievement by Pupil Characteristics, 2005-2008

Statistics on Academic Achievement by Pupil Characteristics include data for Wales for the period 2005 to 2008. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 27 March 2008.

This statistical bulletin uses pupil level data from the National Pupil Database (NPD), which links data on attainment and examination information at Key Stages 1 to 4 to pupil characteristics from the Pupil Level Annual School Census (PLASC) and Pupils’ Attendance Record. This enables us to analyse the attainment of pupils by gender, ethnicity, different special educational need (SEN) requirements, absenteeism, and month of birth.

The key points from the latest release are:

• Girls continued to perform better than boys at each Key Stage, with the widest gap at Key Stage 3, and the narrowest gap at Key Stage 4;
• The gender gap was smaller in Mathematics and Science than in English and Welsh First Language in Key Stages 1 to 3.
• When comparing the main ethnic groups, a higher percentage of pupils from a Chinese or Chinese British ethnic background achieved the Core Subject Indicator (CSI) than any other ethnic group at all the Key Stages;
• The Black ethnic group had the lowest percentage of pupils achieving the CSI at each Key Stage.
• The percentage of pupils with special educational needs achieving the CSI ranged from nearly 47 per cent at Key Stage 1 to just over 9 per cent at Key Stage 4 in 2008.
• Generally, as the overall absence rate increased the percentage of pupils achieving the CSI decreased at each Key Stage in 2008.
• Those born earlier in the academic year were more likely to achieve the CSI than those born later in the academic year.

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 5968
E-mail: school.stats@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

March 2010 (provisional - to be confirmed on the 'Due Out Soon' page)