Once again we are proud to celebrate the success of our all students in their Level 2 (GCSE, Level 1/2 Award and BTEC) and Level 3 (A Level, BTEC and Cambridge Technical) qualifications. Our Year 11 and Sixth Form students have worked extremely hard over the course of two years and as a result of their success they are able to embark upon the next stage in their career, some beginning apprenticeships, some university or college courses and some returning to our Sixth Form.
At Millom School we believe that education goes beyond just exam results, however, we do need to monitor the progress and outcomes of our students and provide information on their attainment and progress using specific performance criteria.
Key Stage 4
Over the last 36 months there have been significant changes in the education landscape, specifically in the ways that the DfE are measuring and reporting on performance at Key Stage 4. The biggest change is concerning the Progress 8 measure. This measures the difference between a pupil’s estimated attainment, based on their Key Stage 2 scores, and their actual attainment achieved by the end of Year 11. It takes the current year’s national performance data into account. The whole school Progress 8 score is an average of the Year 11 cohort and is calculated after students have taken the exams. This link explains the key changes for parents: https://www.theschoolrun.com/secondary-school-performance-measures
A second change concerns the different grading system for GCSEs where results have changed from A*-G to 9-1. The reformed GCSEs are also more challenging and many subjects have experienced the removal of coursework. This helpful fact-sheet from the DfE outlines those key changes to GCSE grading: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/626681/GCSE_Factsheet_parentFormatted1.pdf
In the table below are the headline figures for 2019. Parents and carers are also encouraged to visit the Department for Education’s Performance Tables, which can be found on its web site with the link provided in the statutory information tab of the school website. Please note, however, that the data displayed in the DfE’s performance tables has not been updated to take successful re-marks of GCSE exam papers into account. This information will not be released publically until January 2020. The school has provisionally calculated the attainment of students. Progress figures will be updated when released by the DfE in due course. Note that the E-Bacc measure for Millom School is low because our curriculum model does not make it mandatory for students to study a GCSE in a modern foreign language. We currently give our students the option to study languages (French) at GCSE.
| Measure | School 2019 | School 2018 | School 2017 | School 2016 |
| Progress 8 | To be released soon | 0.0 | -0.11 | -0.29 |
| Attainment 8 | 42.3 | 43.5 | 47.4 | 48.37 |
| % achieving grade 5+ in English and maths | 29% | 31% | 49% | n/a |
| % achieving grade 4+ in English and maths | 55% | 52% | 67% | 68% |
| % entered for the E-Bacc | 3% | 8% | 1% | 9% |
| % achieving the E-Bacc at grades 5+ | 1% | 3% | 1% | 9% |
Key Stage 5
The table below shows our headline figures for the Sixth Form for 2018. Please note that this information is sourced from the DfE’s compare school performance website and includes ‘add-back’ students, which are students who completed courses in previous academic years but who were not included in performance measures at that time. The add-back students have a significant impact upon the figures presented in the performance tables, but due to DfE ruling, schools are unable to remove these students from being included in the measures.
Performance measures are broken down to Academic (A-level programmes only) and Applied General (BTEC and Cambridge Technical programmes). Applied General statistics are only published if the cohort size is greater than 5. In 2018, our Applied General cohort comprised of only 4 students so the progress value and grades are not published.
| Measure | Progress | Average Grade |
| School | Cumbria | England |
| Academic | -0.44 | E+ | C | C+ |
With the add-back students removed, the Year 13 cohort of academic year 2019 achieved the following:
- Pass rate (%A*-E) of all A-level entries and equivalents = 99% (improved from 87% in 2017 and 80% in 2018)
- High grades rate (%A*-B) of all A-level entries and equivalents = 36% (improved from 34% in 2017 and 28% in 2018)
- The school’s own analysis suggests that the progress figure (level 3 value added) has improved significantly from the -0.44 achieved in 2018
- 92% achieved 3 or more A-levels or equivalent and 100% achieved 2 or more A-levels or equivalent