GCSE attainment at KS4 - 2017/28

Summary

The requester asked for detailed GCSE attainment statistics for 2017-18 across Isle of Man secondary schools, specifically excluding half-GCSEs and breaking down results by the number of passes (5 to 11+). The Department of Education provided aggregate Level 2 qualification data (including GCSEs) for 5 passes but refused the request for specific breakdowns of 6 to 11+ passes, citing that the information does not exist and creating it would require substantial analysis.

Key Facts

• The Department does not separate GCSE results from other Level 2 qualifications (SQA, BTEC, NVQ) in its analysis.
• Data for pupils achieving 6 to 11 or more GCSEs is not held by the Department or the schools.
• The request for specific GCSE counts was partially refused under Section 11(3)(b) of the FoI Act as it would require creating or deriving information.
• The Department committed to publishing the analysis of 2017/18 Level 2 results by the end of the school term.
• The case outcome was 'Upheld - partial' following an appeal process.

Data Disclosed

• 2017-18
• 2018-11-07
• 2019-01-04
• 3rd December 2018
• 58.0% of 196 pupils
• 54.4% of 125 pupils
• 67.8% of 121 pupils
• 55.7% of 149 pupils
• 57.3% of 225 pupils
• 648865

Exemptions Cited

• Section 11(3)(b) of the FoI Act
• Section 8(3) of the FoI Act (creation or derivation of information, research, analysis, substantial compilation)

Original Request

I request information as to KS4 whole GCSE attainment (ie please exclude half GCSEs from the data provided) for each of the Island's Secondary Schools for those pupils completing KS4 in the academic year 2017-18. How many pupils completing KS4 achieved: 5 GCSEs at Grades A*-C including English and Mathematics; 6 GCSEs at Grades A*-C including English and Mathematics; 7 GCSEs at Grades A*-C including English and Mathematics; 8 GCSEs at Grades A*-C including English and Mathematics; 9 GCSEs at Grades A*-C including English and Mathematics; 10 GCSEs at Grades A*-C including English and Mathematics; and 11 or more GCSEs at Grades A*-C including English and Mathematics. Please provide the above information for each Secondary School. Could you also please indicate when the Department will publish its analysis of the 2018 GCSE results as they have done for previous academic years viz: https://www.gov.im/media/1359887/attainment-ks4-2017.pdf

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Corporate Services Division Department of Education, Sport and Culture Hamilton House Peel Road, Douglas IM1 5EZ Telephone: (01624) 685808 Website: www.gov.im/dec Email: dec@foi.gov.im Our ref: 648865 3rd December 2018

Dear ###,

We write further to your request which was received on 7 November 2018 and which states:

"I request information as to KS4 whole GCSE attainment (i.e. please exclude half GCSEs from the data provided) for each of the Island's Secondary Schools for those pupils completing KS4 in the academic year 2017-18. How many pupils completing KS4 achieved: 5 GCSEs at Grades A-C including English and Mathematics; 6 GCSEs at Grades A-C including English and Mathematics; 7 GCSEs at Grades A-C including English and Mathematics; 8 GCSEs at Grades A-C including English and Mathematics; 9 GCSEs at Grades A-C including English and Mathematics; 10 GCSEs at Grades A-C including English and Mathematics; and 11 or more GCSEs at Grades A*-C including English and Mathematics. Please provide the above information for each Secondary School. Could you also please indicate when the Department will publish its analysis of the 2018 GCSE results as they have done for previous academic years viz: https://www.gov.im/media/1359887/attainment-ks4-2017.pdf"

Our response to your request is as follows:

Pupils completing key stage 4 in the 2017/18 academic year Pupils completing key stage 4 within all high schools undertake a variety of level 2 qualifications including (but not limited to) GCSE, SQA, BTEC and NVQ. When analysing the results of level 2 qualifications the Department do not separate GCSE’s from the other qualifications. Therefore the information the Department holds on year 11 pupils achieving 5 passes in level 2 qualifications including English and Mathematics is detailed in the table below. High School Pupils with A-C grades Ballakermeen 58.0% of 196 pupils Castle Rushen 54.4% of 125 pupils Queen Elizabeth II 67.8% of 121 pupils Ramsey Grammar 55.7% of 149 pupils St Ninian’s 57.3% of 225 pupils The information requested for pupils achieving 6 to 11 or more GCSEs at grades A-C including English and Mathematics is not held by the Department. Furthermore, the Department does not require schools to analyse or hold the information in this format and consequently this analysis is not undertaken by schools. In order for the schools to provide this information this would require substantial interrogation of their system and creating a record. Therefore a practical refusal reason applies under section 11 (3) (b) of the FoI Act: Complying with the request for information would require the public authority to do one or more of the matters mentioned in section 8 (3) (things a public authority is not required to do by the Act). Section 8 (3) of the Act states nothing in this Act requires a public authority to – (a) Create or derive information from information that it holds; (b) Undertake research into, or analysis of, information that it holds; or (c) Undertake substantial compilation or collation of information that it holds. Publication of 2017/18 level 2 results The Department will publish the analysis of the level 2 results, including GCSE’s, by the end of the current school term. Please quote the reference number 648865 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded.

If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi. I will now close your request as of this date.

Yours sincerely

Freedom of Information Coordinator