Student Performance Analysis

National distribution of GCE A level candidates by prior GCSE scores

Figures for the year 2001 exam candidates aged 17 and entered for
two or more subjects at GCE A/AS level (excluding General Studies)
GCSE mean score <4 4.0-4.4 4.5-4.9 5.0-5.4 5.5-5.9 6.0-6.4 6.5-6.9 7.0-7.4 7.5-7.9 8 Totals
All schools
 Pupil nos. 645 3,235 9,666 20,459 23,678 23,363 20,423 15,699 7,947 735 128,850
% 0.50 2.51 7.50 15.88 18.38 20.46 15.85 12.18 6.17 0.57 100
All maintained schools Pupil nos. 584 3,062 9,030 18,44620,304 20,976 14,820 9,959 3,912 209 101,302
% 0.58 3.02 8.91 18.21 20.04 20.71 14.63 9.83 3.86 0.21 100
All independent schools Pupil nos. 61 173 636 2,013 3,374 5,387 5,603 5,740 4,035 526 27,548
% 0.22 0.63 2.31 7.31 12.25 19.55 20.34 20.84 14.65 1.91 100
All FE colleges Pupil nos. 231 1,720 5,629 10,434 10,455 10,194 6,298 3,711 1,102 71 49,845
% 0.46 3.45 11.29 20.93 20.98 20.45 12.64 7.45 2.21 0.14 100
Source: Statistical Bulletin No.01 / 02 April 2002, DfES
"GCSE/GNVQ and GCE A/AS level performance of candidates attempting two or more GCE A levels or AS equivalents in 2000/2001"

Figures for the year 2000 exam candidates aged 17 and entered for
two or more subjects at GCE A/AS level (excluding General Studies)
GCSE mean score <4 4.0-4.4 4.5-4.9 5.0-5.4 5.5-5.9 6.0-6.4 6.5-6.9 7.0-7.4 7.5-7.9 8 Totals
All schools
 Pupil nos. 542 3,003 9,999 20,968 23,432 25,852 19,955 15,197 6,954 581 126,483
% 0.43 2.37 7.91 16.58 18.53 20.44 15.78 12.02 5.50 0.46 100
All maintained schools Pupil nos. 478 2,820 9,330 18,76219,921 20,247 14,249 9,389 3,334 127 98,657
% 0.48 2.86 9.46 19.02 20.19 20.52 14.44 9.52 3.38 0.13 100
All independent schools Pupil nos. 62 177 654 2,192 3,507 5,606 5,713 5,812 3,624 454 27,801
% 0.22 0.64 2.35 7.88 12.61 20.16 20.55 20.91 13.04 1.63 100
All FE colleges Pupil nos. 281 1,644 5,870 11,077 10,393 9,609 5,912 3,392 1,005 53 49,236
% 1.01 5.91 21.11 39.84 37.38 34.56 21.27 12.20 3.61 0.19 100
Source: Statistical Bulletin No.2 / 01 March 2001, DfEE
"GCSE/GNVQ and GCE A/AS level performance of candidates attempting two or more GCE A levels or AS equivalents in 1999/2000"

Figures for 1999 school candidates aged 17 and entered for
two or more subjects at GCE A/AS level (excluding General Studies)
GCSE mean score <4 4.0-4.4 4.5-4.9 5.0-5.4 5.5-5.9 6.0-6.4 6.5-6.9 7.0-7.4 7.5-7.9 8 Totals
All schools
 Pupil nos. 645 3,104 9,667 21,252 24,448 27,978 19,630 14,583 5,910 409 127,626
% 0.51 2.43 7.57 16.65 19.16 21.92 15.38 11.43 4.63 0.32 100
All maintained schools Pupil nos. 553 2,854 8,918 18,834 20,524 21,632 13,688 8,894 2,838 130 98,865
% 0.56 2.89 9.02 19.05 20.76 21.88 13.85 9.00 2.87 0.13 100
All independent schools Pupil nos. 92 249 743 2,401 3,905 6,325 5,927 5,683 3,068 279 28,627
% 0.32 0.87 2.59 8.37 13.62 22.06 20.67 19.82 10.70 0.97 100
All Sixth form colleges Pupil nos. 80 720 2,935 6,487 7,076 6,943 4,249 2,412 700 31 31,633
% 0.25 2.28 9.28 20.51 22.37 21.95 13.43 7.62 2.21 0.10 100
Source: Statistical Bulletin No.1 / 00 March 2000, DfEE
"GCSE/GNVQ and GCE A/AS level performance of candidates attempting two or more GCE A levels or AS equivalents in 1998/99"

Figures for 1998 school candidates aged 17 and entered for
two or more subjects at GCE A/AS level (excluding General Studies)
GCSE mean score <4 4.0-4.4 4.5-4.9 5.0-5.4 5.5-5.9 6.0-6.4 6.5-6.9 7.0-7.4 7.5-7.9 8 Totals
All schools
 Pupil nos. 634 3,215 9,893 21,464 24,876 27,887 19,161 13,686 5,058 356 126,230
% 0.50 2.55 7.84 17.00 19.71 22.09 15.18 10.84 4.01 0.28 100
All maintained schools Pupil nos. 565 2,998 9,120 18,932 20,735 21,476 13,350 8,304 2,470 113 98,063
% 0.58 3.06 9.30 19.31 21.14 21.90 13.61 8.47 2.52 0.12 100
All independent schools Pupil nos. 67 216 768 2,522 4,129 6,402 5,807 5,381 2,588 243 28,123
% 0.24 0.77 2.73 8.97 14.68 22.76 20.65 19.13 9.20 0.86 100
All Sixth form colleges Pupil nos. 120 780 3,176 6,795 6,918 7,180 4,108 2,397 645 36 32,155
% 0.37 2.43 9.88 21.13 21.51 22.33 12.78 7.45 2.01 0.11 100
Source: Statistical Bulletin No.1 / 99 March 1999, DfEE
"GCSE and GCE A/AS level performance of candidates attempting two or more GCE A levels or AS equivalents in 1997/98"

The tables above shows the distribution of A level candidates by school category and their average GCSE grade obtained two years earlier. A candidate who has a GCSE mean of 5.0 will have obtained, on average, "C" grades in their previous examinations. This may mean that they obtained some "B" grades or higher and some grades lower than "C".

The number of pupils is given for each GCSE mean score band and on the line below the percentage of the total cohort that that figure represents. For instance, in All Schools in 1998 356 candidates averaged a GCSE mean of 8. In other words they obtained A* grades in all their GCSE exams. Of the population of A level candidates in All Schools this figure of 356 represents 0.28 percent.

Using the table above it is possible to compare the A level candidates in one's own school with the national cohort of A level candidates in similar institutions and look at the spread of prior ability as judged by mean GCSE grades. Using the information in the 1998 table it is possible to see that 29.19 percent of A level candidates in Independent schools had average GCSE scores equal to "A" grades or better. In comparison the A level cohort for all maintained schools, which includes Grammar schools, had only 11.11 percent of candidates of similar prior ability.

The SPA analysis of A level results provided to participating schools gives similar, but more detailed, information to the above allowing for comparison of outcome with prior GCSE mean scores. Click on this link to see A-level points by GCSE mean banding.

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