Why do grammar schools do so well in value added terms between KS2 and KS3?
Given that pupils entering selective schools have in general achieved highly in KS2 tests the expectations for their performance at the end of KS3 are high. On this basis one would expect that it would be difficult to add significant value. Indeed, simply maintaining the good progress achieved so far would represent a good achievement. In fact grammar schools demonstrate very good value added between KS2 and KS3, dominating the recent tables in terms of both attainment and progression. This is because pupils in the selective schools achieve well beyond the normal expectation at the end of KS3 and the grading of the KS3 tests allowed able pupils to demonstrate their very good progress. Pupils achieving level 5 at the end of KS2 are in the top 20% of the national cohort – those who go on to achieve level 7 at the end of KS3 (as many pupils in selective schools do) have progressed to the top 10% of the cohort. In mathematics progress can be more dramatic because pupils are still able to a
