Raise educational attainment16 Sample Clauses

Raise educational attainment16 so young people leave school with higher aspirations and better opportunities and adults can reach their full potential. This will require us to reduce underperformance in primary and secondary schools and focus on at-risk groups such as children who are looked after. We believe this is a priority because: Educational attainment has a critical influence on future life chances. We particularly want to ensure that all of our children and young people have the right basic skills to get the most from education and life. We feel that targeting certain under-performing schools (as measured against DfES floor targets) and groups is the best way to do this. A substantial number of Essex school children are included in these categories. Underperforming schools In 2004 there were 126 junior and primary schools in Essex where fewer than 65% of pupils were achieving level 4 at Key Stage 2, and where fewer than 70% of pupils are expected to achieve this in English and Mathematics in 2007.17 Approximately 4,300 pupils are involved, about 25% of the age group. In 2004 there were 16 secondary schools, 20% of the total, where 5% or more of students did not obtain at least 1 A*-G grade at GCSE, or equivalent. In Essex 504 students out of nearly 15,900, 3.2% of the age group, did not achieve at least 1 A* to G grade at GCSE. It is possible nationally to compare pupils' progress from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4: this is often interpreted as a measure of a school’s “value-added”. The average progress has been given a score of 1,000. In 2004, 27 (or 34%) of secondary schools in Essex had a score of below 990. Raising the achievement levels of looked-after children We are committed to reducing the xxxxx differences in achievement between our looked after children and Essex children in general. Only 3% of our looked after children entered higher education compared to 45% of all children and only 11% obtained five or more high-graded GCSEs compared to 55% of all children, as the graph below shows. Improving their attainment at Key Stages 2 and 3 is vital for future success. 16 Commitments relevant to this priority are contained in the Community Strategies of: Essex; Basildon; Castle Point; Chelmsford; Colchester; Epping Forest; Harlow (draft); Maldon; Rochford; Tendring; and Uttlesford. 17 2005 update: the initial 2005 performance data for Key Stage 2 indicates that there has been an improvement in performance in some of this cohort of schools. Page2446 Educational Outcomes for Loo...