Prior attainment

Prior attainment can explain up to 70% of the variation between results of pupils and thus is very important for us to consider. Using a prior attainment value for a pupil we can consider the progress made by the pupil, calculate the variation not attributed to prior attainment and use it as a basis for setting the pupil's targets.

Prior attainment is commonly expressed as:

• the average point score;
• or the average point score band;
• or a category (lower, middle, upper).

Prior attainment information should be available to the class teacher to help with their planning, ensuring that learning is pitched correctly.

When we do not have prior attainment data for all our pupils (see matched data) we must take account of any other progress information we have about them, for instance from internal assessments.