Q2. How well do pupils achieve in science and maths and what is the trend over time for achievement?
Why this is important
One of the governing board’s core functions is to hold the headteacher to account for educational performance of the school and its pupils. To do this effectively and to be in a position to identify strengths and weaknesses, governors need to know how well pupils are achieving over time.
Benchmarks
More information on the results achieved, separated by gender, can be found in the benchmarks for Q3.

Chart 1
Chart 2 shows the percentage of pupils at level 4 or above between 2007 and 2013 according to teacher assessment.

Chart 2
Teacher assessment is a different kind of measure from statutory or sampling tests, involving ongoing assessment and monitoring as opposed to a single written test; this means that percentages of pupils deemed to be achieving each level will tend to differ between these different types of assessment, as reflected by the different patterns seen in Charts 1 and 2.
Ideas for improvement
You can:
- use the FFT Governor Dashboard to get a full picture of achievement in your school
- ask for internal data from teacher assessments throughout the year, and use this to monitor how well pupils are progressing. If pupils are not making expected progress, you should ask the headteacher why this is, and what is being done about it.
Most importantly, school leaders should ensure that adequate time is given to the teaching of both science and maths in all years, so that pupils can be taught a broad and balanced curriculum.
Other questions in Assessment
- Q1. How do teachers assess the progress of their pupils in science and maths?
- Q3. Do different groups of pupils make equally good progress in science and maths?