Marking problems delay test results

OLDHAM’S results for 14-year-olds in national English, maths and science tests have been delayed until October because of marking problems.

The news comes as figures published yesterday show that English and science results fell nationally this year but maths performance improved.

The proportion of 14–year–olds reaching the expected standard (level 5) in English dropped from 74 per cent last year to 73.

Science results fell from 73 to 71 per cent and maths results are up one percentage point to 77.

The English and maths results are both short of Government’s target of 85 per cent for the subjects.

Key stage 3 figures give a picture of how well 14–year–olds are performing but breakdowns of results by authority were not published as planned because of a lack of data.

This follows the fiasco over on-line delivery of results to schools because of problems with marking and inputting data.

School league tables are now unlikely to be published on time in December.

More than 98 per cent of Oldham’s key stage 3 papers have been returned and 12 out of 17 secondary schools have some data missing, some as little as 1 per cent.

They are: Counthill, Crompton House, Failsworth, Hathershaw, Kaskenmoor, Our Lady’s, Radclyffe, Royton and Crompton, Saddleworth, South Chadderton, St Augustine and the pupil referral unit.