If you have followed this debate closely you will know that we have long argued that inflated Key Stage 1 results do have a significant bearing on Key Stage 2 value added.
Without any doubt Key Stage Value Added scores are statistically at least, the most significant indicators of progression. If for whatever reason a set of Key Stage test results are inflated then this will impact on the next and subsequent, value added scores.
Key Stage 2 is split with the first 2 years being with the primary school and the last two in the middle school, where the whole of Key Stage 2 is tested. In our view there is substantial evidence to show that the extremely poor KS1 – KS2 value added scores are statistically improbable for the
This coupled with a lack of overall responsibility for the whole of Key Stage 2 means that our middle schools are going to find it difficult to add value unless certain steps are taken to address the problem.
This is not unique to the Isle of Wight. It is a feature of all systems where Key Stage 2 is split.
Clearly transfer of pupils from primary school at age 11 at the end of Key Stage 2 would give primary schools ownership of the whole of Key Stage 2. Of course that would mean abolishing the middle schools. It would also result in the closure of around 16 small primary schools that are unable to provide the space for the additional classrooms that would need to be built to accommodate the extra two years.
The only way to address this issue in our opinion is to develop and where necessary enforce, collaboration between primary and middle school Key Stage 2 teachers. This collaboration is already growing in some areas.
We see this collaboration or federation as essential and we recommend that Key Stage 2 teachers are organised into Key Stage 2 teams. These would comprise, teachers from all feeder primary schools and the middle school under the joint leadership of the primary and middle school heads. Each primary school would be rewarded financially for the value added at Key Stage 2 and in this way the primary head would have effective responsibility for the result.
A system such as this would see collaboration both vertically and horizontally between primary schools. Horizontal collaboration would have the added benefit of ensuring that subject matter across the cluster would be coordinated across the key stage, preventing repetition of subject matter at both primary and middle as sometimes occurs now. Children are easily bored and we need to ensure that they are stimulated and not demotivated by their learning experience at Key Stage 2.
From our discussions with Director of Children's Services, Steve Beynon, we understand that these ideas are being developed and will form a strategy to cope with the issue at Key Stage 2.