RNIB Supporting people with sight loss
Research Briefing
Official data on children and young people with
vision impairment in England 2016
RNIB briefing report 2: Attainment of early years and
primary school aged children with VI as their primary
(main) SEN in 2016
Author: Sue Keil
Publisher: RNIB
Date of publication: February 2017
RNIB Registered charity numbers 226227, SC039316
Abbreviations used
Specific learning difficulty
Moderate Learning Difficulty
Severe Learning Difficulty
Profound and multiple learning difficulty
Social, emotional and mental health
Speech, language and communication needs
Hearing impariment
Visual impairment
Multi-sensory impairment
Physical disability
Autistic spectrum disorder
Other difficulty/disability
SEN support but no specialist assessment of
type of need
No secondary SEN identified
Key Stage 1
Key Stage 2
Early years foundation stage
Early years foundation stage profile
Early learning goals
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SpLD
MLD
SLD
PMLD
SEMH
SLCN
HI
VI
MSI
PD
ASD
Other
NK
No sec SEN
KS1
KS2
EYFS
EYFSP
ELG
Key findings
Most of the official SEN data that is published by DfE relates only to pupils’
primary (or main) special educational need (SEN). The statistics presented in this
briefing apply only to pupils by their primary SEN. They exclude pupils whose
secondary SEN is vision impairment (VI), and therefore under-represent pupils
with VI and additional SEN.
The number of pupils with VI in each Key Stage group is also very small in the
published statistics.
Caution should therefore be used when using the published data to
benchmark local data on pupil attainment for children with VI. This is
because it is probable that VI/sensory service caseloads will include a
higher proportion of children and young people with additional SEN than are
reflected in the DfE published statistics and the two populations are
therefore not directly comparable.
Early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP)
 With the exception of MSI, children whose primary SEN was VI had the
smallest number of pupils being assessed for the EYFSP – a total of 563
children
 While children with VI were the highest attaining of all the SEN groups, there
was still a 25% gap between VI pupils and all early years pupils
 41% of pupils with VI achieved at least the expected standard in all 17 early
learning goals (ELGs) compared with 67% of all pupils
 44% of pupils with VI were assessed as having reached a ‘good level of
development’ compared with 69% of all pupils
Phonic decoding – Year 1 pupils
 With the exception of MSI, children whose primary SEN was VI had the
smallest number of pupils eligible for Year 1 phonics decoding – a total of 749
children
 6% of pupils with VI were disapplied from the teacher assessment of phonic
decoding because they had not shown an understanding of the relationship
between sounds and the letters which represent those sounds
 While pupils with VI were the highest attaining of the SEN groups, there was
still a 22% gap between VI pupils and all Year 1 pupils
 59% of pupils with VI met the expected level of phonic decoding compared
with 81% of all pupils
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Key stage 1 assessments
 853 pupils with VI as their primary SEN underwent KS1 teacher assessments
in 2016
 Reading: while pupils with VI (as well as HI) were the highest attaining of the
SEN groups at KS1 reading assessments, there was still a 25% gap between
VI pupils and all KS1 pupils
 49% of VI pupils reached the expected standard in KS1 reading and 11%
reached a higher standard
 Writing: pupils with HI were the highest performing SEN group at KS1 writing,
with VI pupils ranked second. The gap between VI pupils and all KS1 pupils
was 28%
 38% of pupils with VI reached the expected standard in KS1 writing and 6%
reached a higher standard
 Mathematics: while pupils with VI were the highest attaining SEN group at
KS1 maths, the gap between VI pupils and all KS1 pupils was 25%
 49% of pupils with VI reached the expected standard at KS1 maths and 10%
reached a higher standard
 Science: while pupils with VI were the highest attaining of the SEN groups at
KS1 science, there was still a 21% gap between VI pupils and all KS1 pupils
 61% of pupils with VI reached the expected standard in KS1 science
Key stage 2 assessments
 878 pupils with VI as their primary SEN were assessed at KS2 in 2016
 Reading, writing and maths combined: while pupils with VI (closely followed
by pupils with HI) were the highest attaining SEN group at KS2 reading, writing
and maths combined, there was still a 19% gap between VI pupils and all KS2
pupils
 34% of pupils with VI reached the expected standard in reading, writing and
maths combined, and 2% reached a higher standard
 Reading: while pupils with VI were the highest attaining of the SEN groups at
KS2 reading, there was still a 16% gap between VI pupils and all KS2 pupils
 50% of pupils with VI reached the expected standard in KS2 reading and 12%
reached a higher standard
 Writing: pupils with HI were the highest performing SEN group at KS2 writing,
with VI pupils ranked second. The gap between VI pupils and all KS1 pupils
was 24%
 50% of pupils with VI reached the expected standard in KS2 writing and 7%
reached a higher standard
 Mathematics: pupils with VI and pupils with HI were the highest attaining of
the SEN groups at KS1 maths. There was a 17% gap between VI pupils and all
KS2 pupils
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 53% of pupils with VI reached the expected standard in KS2 maths and 9%
reached a higher standard
 Grammar, punctuation and spelling: pupils with HI were the highest attaining
SEN group at grammar, punctuation and spelling with VI pupils ranked second.
The gap between pupils with VI and all KS2 pupils was 21%
 51% of pupils with VI reached the expected standard in grammar, punctuation
and spelling and 11% reached a higher standard.
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1. Introduction
The tables in this briefing use data published by the Department for Education
(DfE) and are taken from three main sources which are referenced at the end of
this briefing.
The figures apply to pupils in state funded nursery and primary schools and
special schools. They include:
 All primary academies, including free schools
 Maintained and non-maintained special schools and all special academies,
including free schools.
They exclude:
 General hospital schools
 Pupil referral units
 Independent schools.
The statistics presented here – in accordance with most of the official SEN data
that is published by DfE – applies only to pupils by their primary (or main) special
educational need (SEN). They exclude pupils whose secondary SEN is VI, and
are therefore an under-representation of the population of pupils with VI. By
excluding pupils whose secondary SEN is VI, they also under-represent pupils
with VI and additional SEN.
The number of pupils with VI in each Key Stage group is also very small in the
published statistics.
Caution should therefore be used when using the published data to benchmark
local data on pupil attainment for children with VI. This is because it is probable
that VI/sensory service caseloads will include a higher proportion of children and
young people with additional SEN than are reflected in the DfE published statistics
and the two populations are therefore not directly comparable.
The briefing is divided into the following sections:
 Early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP)
 Year 1 pupils’ phonic decoding
 Key Stage 1 assessments
 Key Stage 2 assessments.
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2. Attainment of early years and primary aged pupils with VI
as their primary (main) SEN in 2016
The statistics provided in this section are for assessments and examinations
carried out in 2016. As noted in the introduction to this briefing, they apply only to
pupils whose primary SEN was VI and are therefore likely to contain a higher
proportion of children with VI as their only SEN than occurs in the VI population as
a whole.
2.1 Early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP)
Table 1: Achievement in early years foundation stage profile (EYFSP)
teacher assessments by SEN group in 2016
Pupil
At least the
A good level of Average point Total pupils
group
expected standard development
score
in all 17 ELGs
%
%
Number
SpLD
15%
17%
24.7
1,377
MLD
13%
14%
24.3
5,374
SLD
x
x
17.6
1,597
PMLD
1%
1%
17.5
833
SEMH
22%
24%
27.1
6,876
SLCN
26%
27%
26.7
31,037
HI
32%
33%
27.9
1,010
VI
41%
44%
30.0
563
MSI
23%
26%
25.8
184
PD
27%
28%
27.0
2,284
ASD
8%
9%
21.4
5,688
Other
28%
30%
27.2
2,033
SEN type
20%
22%
26.4
n/k*
1,704
All SEN
22%
23%
25.7
60,560
All pupils
67%
69%
34.5
669,052
* SEN support but no specialist assessment
With the exception of MSI, children with VI had the smallest number of pupils
undergoing assessment for the EYFSP – a total of 563 children. While children
with VI were the highest attaining of the SEN groups, there was still a 25% gap
between VI pupils and all early years pupils.
To achieve at least the expected standard in all areas of learning, children must
achieve ‘expected’ or ‘exceeded’ in all 17 early learning goals (ELGs).
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Two in five (41%) pupils with VI achieved at least the expected standard in all 17
ELGs. This compares with just over one in five (22%) of all pupils with SEN and
two in three (67%) of all pupils who achieved this level.
A pupil achieving at least the expected level in the ELGs within the three prime
areas of learning and within literacy and numeracy is classed as having a ‘good
level of development’. Over two in five (44%) children with VI were assessed as
having reached a ‘good level of development’, compared to 23% of all pupils with
SEN and 69% of all pupils.
An ‘average point score’ is a supporting measure taking into account performance
across all 17 ELGs, with one point for ‘emerging’, two for ‘expected’ and three for
‘exceeding’. The sum is then taken for all pupils with that characteristic – i.e. SEN
group or status - and the figure given in column four of table 1 is the mean for that
group. We see therefore, that the average point score for the group of pupils with
VI was 30.0, compared with 25.7 for all pupils with SEN and 34.5 for all pupils.
According to DfE: “An outcome of 34 points is the equivalent of a child achieving
the expected level in each and every early learning goal”, which equates to an
average score of two points (‘expected’) for each of the 17 ELGs.
2.2 Year 1 pupils phonic decoding
As detailed in table 2, just over one in 20 (6%) of the 749 pupils whose primary
SEN was VI were disapplied from the teacher assessment of phonic decoding
because they had ‘not shown any understanding of grapheme-phoneme
correspondences’ (i.e. the relationship between sounds and the letters which
represent those sounds; also known as 'letter-sound correspondences'). This is
the same proportion as pupils with a specific learning difficulty (SpLD), moderate
learning difficulty (MLD), speech, language and communication needs (SLCN),
and multi-sensory impairment (MSI). In comparison, around three quarters of
pupils with severe or profound and multiple learning difficulties (SLD/PMLD), and
three in ten with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) were disapplied, while for all
pupils the proportion was one in 50 (2%).
Once again, pupils with VI were the highest attaining of the SEN groups, with 59%
meeting the expected level of phonic decoding, but there was still a 22% gap
between VI pupils and all pupils. Just over one in three (34%) pupils with VI were
assessed as not meeting the expected level of phonic decoding, which is almost
double the proportion of all Year 1 pupils.
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Table 2: Achievement in Year 1 phonics decoding by SEN group in 2016
Pupil group
Meeting the
Not meeting the
Disapplied Number of
expected level
expected level of
eligible
of phonic
phonic decoding
pupils
decoding %
%
%
SpLD
36%
58%
6%
3,561
MLD
33%
61%
6%
13,796
SLD
4%
22%
74%
1,933
PMLD
4%
19%
77%
876
SEMH
52%
43%
4%
10,842
SLCN
46%
48%
6%
33,828
HI
55%
32%
13%
1,342
VI
59%
34%
6%
749
MSI
52%
43%
6%
250
PD
49%
37%
13%
2,594
ASD
36%
34%
30%
6,542
Other
49%
43%
8%
3,161
SEN type n/k*
44%
53%
3%
3,469
All SEN
42%
47%
10%
82,943
All pupils
81%
18%
2%
652,250
* SEN support but no specialist assessment
2.3 Key stage 1 assessments
Table 3: Summary of pupils reaching the expected standard in Key Stage 1
subjects (teacher assessments): pupils whose primary SEN was VI
compared with all SEN pupils and all pupils in 2016
Subject
All pupils
All pupils
All pupils (with
with VI
with SEN
and without
%
%
SEN)
%
Reading
49%
30%
74%
Writing
38%
20%
65%
Mathematics
49%
30%
73%
Science
61%
42%
82%
The number of VI pupils who underwent Key Stage 1 (KS1) teacher assessments
in 2016 was 853.
Comparing pupils with VI with all pupils with SEN, and all pupils (table 3), we see
that all three groups did best at science followed by reading and mathematics. All
four groups did least well at writing.
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In all subjects the ‘all pupils’ group did best and the gap between this group and
pupils with VI ranged from 27% (writing) to 21% (science).
2.3.1 Key stage 1 reading assessments
Pupils with VI and HI were the highest attaining of the SEN groups at KS1 reading
assessments, with 49% in both groups achieving the expected level in reading,
and 11% reaching a higher standard. This compares with 30% of all pupils with
SEN and 74% of all pupils who reached the expected level, and 4% and 24%
respectively who attained a higher standard.
Table 4: Achievement in Key Stage 1 reading (teacher assessments) by
primary SEN in 2016
Pupil group
Reaching the
Reaching a
Number of
expected standard higher standard
eligible pupils
%
%
SpLD
23%
2%
6,717
MLD
19%
1%
21,892
SLD
2%
x
2,166
PMLD
2%
x
827
SEMH
46%
8%
13,605
SLCN
31%
4%
29,065
HI
49%
11%
1,530
VI
49%
11%
853
MSI
43%
9%
257
PD
44%
9%
2,795
ASD
30%
7%
6,903
Other
37%
6%
4,036
SEN type n/k*
27%
2%
4,534
All SEN
30%
4%
95,180
All pupils
74%
24%
641,593
* SEN support but no specialist assessment
2.3.2 Key Stage 1 writing assessments
As can be seen from table 5, pupils with hearing impairment (HI) were the highest
performing SEN group at writing (41%), with VI pupils ranked second (38%).
Pupils with VI and with HI were the highest ranking SEN groups to reach a higher
than expected standard at KS1 writing, with 6% in both groups achieving this
level.
Compared with all pupils however, fewer pupils with VI (and HI) reached or
exceeded the expected standard. There was a 28% gap between all pupils who
reached the expected standard and VI pupils. While the gap for those who
reached a higher standard was smaller at 7%, it is important to note that the
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actual percentages were also smaller and that pupils with VI were half as likely as
the general pupil population to exceed the expected standard.
Table 5: Achievement in Key Stage 1 writing (teacher assessments) by
primary SEN in 2016
Pupil group
Reaching the
Reaching a
Number of
expected standard higher standard
eligible pupils
%
%
SpLD
13%
x
6,717
MLD
11%
x
21,892
SLD
1%
x
2,166
PMLD
1%
x
827
SEMH
29%
2%
13,605
SLCN
23%
2%
29,065
HI
41%
6%
1,530
VI
38%
6%
853
MSI
30%
3%
257
PD
31%
4%
2,795
ASD
21%
3%
6,903
Other
25%
2%
4,036
SEN type n/k*
17%
1%
4,534
All SEN
20%
2%
95,180
All pupils
66%
13%
641,593
*SEN support but no specialist assessment
2.3.3 Key Stage 1 mathematics assessments
Pupils with VI were the highest attaining SEN group at KS1 mathematics, with
49% reaching the expected standard and 10% reaching a higher standard.
However, as with reading and writing, there was still a considerable gap between
VI pupils and the general pupil population. Over nine in ten (91%) pupils overall
reached or exceeded the expected standard in Key Stage 1 mathematics,
compared with 59% of pupils with VI.
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Table 6: Achievement in Key Stage 1 mathematics (teacher assessments) by
primary SEN in 2016
Pupil group
Reaching the
Reaching a
Number of
expected standard higher standard
eligible pupils
%
%
SpLD
25%
2%
6,717
MLD
20%
1%
21,892
SLD
2%
x
2,166
PMLD
2%
x
827
SEMH
44%
6%
13,605
SLCN
34%
4%
29,065
HI
47%
9%
1,530
VI
49%
10%
853
MSI
42%
6%
257
PD
39%
6%
2,795
ASD
29%
7%
6,903
Other
35%
5%
4,036
SEN type n/k*
27%
2%
4,534
All SEN
30%
4%
95,180
All pupils
73%
18%
641,593
*SEN support but no specialist assessment
2.3.4 Key Stage 1 science assessments
For KS1 science, the tables published by DfE only give percentages of pupils
reaching the expected standard; no breakdown has been given of SEN pupils
exceeding the expected standard.
As noted at the beginning of section 4.3, science was the KS1 subject that pupils
with VI, along with the general population of pupils and all pupils with SEN (as a
single group) did best at.
Once again, pupils with VI were the highest ranking SEN group, with three in five
(61%) achieving the expected level at KS1. The gap between VI pupils and all
pupils was also smaller in science than for the other three subjects, although still
significant at 21%.
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Table 7: Achievement in Key Stage 1 science (teacher assessments) by
primary SEN in 2016
Pupil group
Reaching the
Number of eligible
expected standard
pupils
%
SpLD
44%
6,717
MLD
35%
21,892
SLD
3%
2,163
PMLD
3%
827
SEMH
58%
13,605
SLCN
43%
29,065
HI
58%
1,530
VI
61%
853
MSI
55%
257
PD
51%
2,795
ASD
34%
6,903
Other
49%
4,036
SEN type n/k*
44%
4,534
All SEN
42%
95,177
All pupils
82%
641,590
*SEN support but no specialist assessment
2.4 Key stage 2 assessments
The number of pupils with VI who were assessed at Key Stage 2 (KS2) in
reading, writing and mathematics was 877 and a third (34%) reached the
expected standard in all three subjects compared with just over a half (53%) of all
pupils. One in fifty (2%) pupils with VI reached a higher standard, compared with
one in 20 (5%) of all pupils.
Pupils with VI and HI were the highest attaining of the SEN groups.
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Table 8: Achievement in Key Stage 2 reading, writing and mathematics
(combined) by primary SEN in 2016
Pupil group
Reaching the
Reaching a
Number of
expected standard higher standard
eligible pupils
%
%
SpLD
12%
x
15,915
MLD
7%
x
31,294
SLD
1%
x
2,420
PMLD
1%
x
676
SEMH
24%
1%
17,576
SLCN
12%
x
13,820
HI
33%
2%
1,566
VI
34%
2%
877
MSI
20%
x
133
PD
28%
1%
2,514
ASD
22%
2%
7,794
Other
19%
1%
4,562
SEN type n/k*
13%
x
3,502
All SEN
14%
1%
102,649
All pupils
53%
5%
585,565
*SEN support but no specialist assessment
2.4.1 Key stage 2 reading
As table 9 shows, 50% of the 878 pupils with VI who were assessed in KS2
reading reached the expected standard, and a further 12% reached a higher
standard. This compares with 66% of all pupils who reached the expected
standard and 19% who reached a higher standard.
Comparing these results with the reading results for KS1 pupils, we see a smaller
gap between VI and all pupils at KS2 than at KS1. This is because the proportion
of ’all pupils’ reaching or exceeding the expected standard at KS2 reading was
smaller than at KS1. For pupils with VI, similar proportions reached or exceeded
the expected standard in reading in both the KS1 and KS2 groups . It is important
to note that the comparison is between pupils undertaking KS1 and KS2
assessments in 2016, and is not a measure of pupil progress over time from one
Key Stage to the next.
Pupils with VI continued to be the SEN group with the highest proportion of pupils
reaching both the expected and a higher standard in reading.
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Table 9: Achievement in Key Stage 2 reading by primary SEN in 2016
Pupil group
Reaching the
Reaching a
Number of
expected standard higher standard
eligible pupils
%
%
SpLD
31%
4%
15,932
MLD
21%
2%
31,364
SLD
3%
x
2,460
PMLD
1%
x
692
SEMH
43%
8%
17,621
SLCN
23%
3%
13,847
HI
46%
11%
1,569
VI
50%
12%
878
MSI
49%
9%
134
PD
46%
11%
2,525
ASD
36%
10%
7,853
Other
36%
6%
4,574
SEN type n/k*
29%
3%
3,507
All SEN
29%
5%
102,956
All pupils
66%
19%
586,177
*SEN support but no specialist assessment
2.4.2 Key stage 2 writing
Fifty per cent of the 877 pupils with VI who were assessed in KS2 writing reached
the expected standard, and a further 7% reached a higher standard. This
compares with 74% of all pupils who reached the expected standard and 15%
who reached a higher standard.
Comparing these results with the results for the KS1 pupils in the same year, we
see that for both pupils with VI and all pupils, a higher proportion reached the
expected standard in writing at KS2 than at KS1. The gap between VI pupils and
all pupils was similar at both Key Stages.
As for KS1, pupils with HI were the highest performing SEN group at writing, with
VI pupils ranked second.
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Table 10: Achievement in Key Stage 2 writing by primary SEN in 2016
Pupil group
Reaching the
Reaching a
Number of
expected standard higher standard
eligible pupils
%
%
SpLD
27%
1%
15,916
MLD
21%
x
31,296
SLD
3%
x
2,420
PMLD
1%
x
676
SEMH
42%
4%
17,577
SLCN
25%
1%
13,820
HI
54%
8%
1,566
VI
50%
7%
877
MSI
41%
5%
133
PD
43%
6%
2,514
ASD
35%
5%
7,794
Other
35%
3%
4,562
SEN type n/k*
32%
1%
3,502
All SEN
29%
2%
102,653
All pupils
74%
15%
585,577
*SEN support but no specialist assessment
2.4.3 Key Stage 2 mathematics
Table 11: Achievement in Key Stage 2 mathematics by primary SEN in 2016
Pupil group
Reaching the
Reaching a
Number of
expected standard higher standard
eligible pupils
%
%
SpLD
36%
3%
15,930
MLD
24%
1%
31,361
SLD
3%
x
2,460
PMLD
1%
x
692
SEMH
42%
5%
17,620
SLCN
32%
3%
13,844
HI
53%
9%
1,569
VI
53%
9%
878
MSI
40%
3%
134
PD
41%
7%
2,525
ASD
36%
8%
7,852
Other
38%
4%
4,574
SEN type n/k*
33%
2%
3,507
All SEN
32%
3%
102,946
All pupils
70%
17%
586,157
*SEN support but no specialist assessment
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Just over half (53%) of pupils with VI reached the expected standard in KS2
mathematics, with a further one in ten (9%) reaching a higher standard. This
compares with 70% of all pupils who reached the expected standard and 17%
who reached a higher standard.
Comparing these results with the results for KS1 pupils in the same year, we see
that the gap between VI and all pupils reaching or exceeding the expected
standard in mathematics was smaller at KS2 (25%) than at KS1 (32%). This is
because a slightly higher proportion of VI pupils reached the expected standard at
KS2 than at KS1, while for all pupils the proportion was slightly lower at KS2. As
previously noted, it is important to be aware that these are not the results for the
same sets of pupils over time, but for two age cohorts taking KS1 and KS2
assessments in 2016.
Both VI and HI pupils were the highest performing SEN groups at KS2
mathematics.
2.4.4 Key Stage 2 grammar, punctuation and spelling
Table 12: Achievement in Key Stage 2 grammar, punctuation and spelling by
primary SEN in 2016
Pupil group
Reaching the
Reaching a
Number of
expected standard higher standard
eligible pupils
%
%
SpLD
24%
1%
15,931
MLD
19%
1%
31,363
SLD
2%
x
2,460
PMLD
1%
x
692
SEMH
43%
7%
17,620
SLCN
26%
3%
13,845
HI
56%
14%
1,569
VI
51%
11%
877
MSI
39%
5%
134
PD
46%
10%
2,525
ASD
39%
10%
7,853
Other
35%
5%
4,574
SEN type n/k*
30%
2%
3,507
All SEN
29%
4%
102,950
All pupils
72%
22%
586,165
*SEN support but no specialist assessment
Just over half (51%) of pupils with VI reached the expected standard in grammar,
punctuation and spelling at KS2 and a further one in ten (11%) reached a higher
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standard. This compares with 72% of all pupils who reached the required standard
and a further 22% who reached a higher standard.
Pupils with VI were the second highest attaining SEN group in grammar,
punctuation and spelling, behind pupils with HI.
2.4.5 Key Stage 2 average scaled scores
Table 13: Average scaled score in Key Stage 2 reading, mathematics, and
grammar, punctuation and spelling by primary SEN in 2016
Pupil group
Reading
Mathematics
Grammar, punctuation
and spelling
SpLD
96
97
95
MLD
94
95
95
SLD
92
93
93
PMLD
93
93
93
SEMH
98
98
99
SLCN
94
97
96
HI
99
100
101
VI
100
101
101
MSI
100
98
99
PD
100
99
101
ASD
100
100
101
Other
97
98
98
SEN type n/k*
95
97
96
All SEN
96
97
97
All pupils
103
103
104
*SEN support but no specialist assessment
In addition to their actual (raw) score in each KS2 test, every pupil is given a
‘scaled score’ and DfE has published guidelines on converting a raw score to a
scaled score. According to DfE, scaled scores enable accurate comparisons of
pupil performance over time. Every scaled score will represent the same level of
attainment for a pupil each year, so a pupil who scores 103, for example, in 2016
will have demonstrated the same attainment as a pupil who scores 103 in 2017
(DfE, July 2016).
The lowest scaled score that can be awarded is 80 and the highest is 120.
 Pupils with a scaled score of 100 will have met the expected standard on the
test
 Pupils awarded a scaled score of between 80 and 99 will not have met the
expected standard in the test
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 Pupils awarded a scaled score of 110 or more in reading and mathematics;
and teacher assessed in writing as ‘working at a greater depth within the
expected standard’ will have met the higher standard.
According to DfE, the average scaled score is calculated as the mean scaled
score of all eligible pupils who were given a scaled score.
Table 13 therefore, shows that the average (mean) scaled score of pupils with VI
was 100 in reading and 101 in mathematics, and grammar, punctuation and
spelling. As a group, therefore, pupils with VI met the expected standard at KS 2.
Further information from DfE about KS2 scores is given in appendix A.
2.4.6 Progress scores of pupils at Key Stage 2
See appendix B for guidance from DfE about interpreting KS2 progress scores.
Table 14: Progress scores in Key Stage 2 reading, writing and mathematics
by primary SEN in 2016
Pupil group
Reading
Writing
Mathematics
SpLD
-1.1(-1.3 to -1.0)
-3.2 (-3.3 to -3.0) -0.8 (-0.9 to -0.7)
MLD
-1.9 (-2.0 to -1.9)
-2.6 (-2.7 to -2.5) -1.7 (-1.7 to -1.6)
SLD
-4.5 (-5.1 to -3.9)
-4.5(-5.0 to -3.9) -5.3 (-5.9 to -4.7)
PMLD
-7.3 (-8.7 to -5.9)
-5.9 (-7.2 to -4.6) -7.8 (-9.3 to -6.3)
SEMH
-0.9 (-1.1 to -0.8)
-2.6 (-2.7 to -2.5) -1.5 (-1.6 to -1.4)
SLCN
-2.2 (-2.3 to -2.0)
-2.5(-2.6 to -2.4) -1.1 (-1.2 to -0.9)
HI
-0.9 (-1.3 to -0.5)
-0.8 (-1.1 to -0.4) -0.3 (-0.6 to 0.0)
VI
0.1 (-0.5 to 0.6) -1.6 (-2.1 to -1.1) -0.2 (-0.7 to 0.2)
MSI
-1.4 (-2.8 to 0.0)
-3.6 (-5.0 to -2.2) -3.0 (-4.2 to -1.7)
PD
-0.3 (-0.6 to 0.0)
-2.1 (-2.4 to -1.8) -2.2 (-2.4 to -1.9)
ASD
-1.0 (-0.2 to -0.8)
-2.6 (-2.8 to -2.4) -1.5 (-1.7 to -1.3)
Other
-0.9 (-1.2 to -0.7)
-2.4 (-2.6 to -2.2) -1.3 (-1.5 to -1.1)
SEN type n/k*
-1.3 (-1.6 to -1.1)
-2.2 (-2.4 to -1.9) -1.2 (-1.4 to -1.0)
All SEN
-1.5 (-1.5 to -1.4)
-2.6 (-2.7 to -2.6) -1.4 (-1.4 to -1.3)
All pupils
0.0 (0.0 – 0.0)
0.0 (0.0 – 0.0)
0.0 (0.0 – 0.0)
*SEN support but no specialist assessment
Figures in brackets are confidence intervals for each score
The key message for this report is that a score of 0 means pupils in this group on
average do about as well at KS2 as those with similar prior attainment nationally.
A positive score means pupils in this group on average do better at KS2 as
those with similar prior attainment nationally. A negative score means pupils in
this group on average do worse at KS2 as those with similar prior attainment
nationally. A negative score does not mean that pupils did not make any progress,
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rather it means they made less progress than other pupils nationally with similar
starting points.
Looking at table 14, therefore, on average, pupils with VI have a positive progress
score in reading and a negative score in writing and mathematics. it appears that
in reading, the progress of pupils with VI was virtually the same as/very slightly
better than that of all pupils (0.1). However, the confidence intervals are wide,
ranging between -0.5 and 0.6.
In writing and mathematics, pupils with VI made less progress than all pupils.
Again, the confidence intervals need to be considered, particularly in mathematics
where they range from -0.7 to 0.2.
Compared with all pupils with SEN (as a single group), pupils with VI made more
progress. In writing, they made less progress than pupils with HI.
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3. Conclusion
In 2016, children with vision impairment were the highest or second highest (along
with pupils with HI) attaining SEN group in all assessments ranging from the early
years foundation stage profile (EYFSP) to Key Stage 2.
However, in all the assessments (EYFSP, Year 1 phonics decoding, KS1 and KS2
assessments), children with VI (as a group) did less well than the general
population of pupils. The attainment gap between pupils with VI and their peers
was around 20% (ranging from 16% to 27%) for reaching the expected standard
in each test.
Some pupils with VI reached a higher than expected standard in their KS1 and
KS2 assessments. Although the proportion was still lower than that for the general
population, it is important to note that there were pupils with VI who performed at
an above average level. The proportion of children with VI exceeding the expected
level for their age group ranged from 6% (KS1 writing) to 12% (KS2 reading). For
KS2 reading, writing and mathematics combined, 2% of pupils with VI reached a
higher standard, compared with 5% of all pupils.
These statistics should however, be treated with a degree of caution as they are
not representative of the whole population of children with VI. That is because
they apply only to pupils whose primary (main) SEN was VI. We know from other
data published by DfE (see RNIB research briefing 1) that pupils with VI and an
additional SEN are under-represented in this group.
The overall numbers of pupils with VI whose results are detailed in this briefing,
are correspondingly low. For example, only 563 were assessed for the EYFSP
and 878 for KS2 in 2016, representing 0.08% and 0.15% of the total number of
pupils undertaking these assessments.
In conclusion, while these statistics provide valuable information about the
attainment of early years and primary aged pupils with VI, local authorities that
use the published data to benchmark their own data on pupil attainment should
exercise extreme caution. This is because VI/sensory service caseloads will
include a higher proportion of children and young people with additional SEN than
are reflected in the DfE published statistics and the two populations are therefore
not directly comparable.
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References
DfE (5 July 2016) Scaled scores at Key Stage 2.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/scaled-scores-at-key-stage-2
DfE (29 September, 2016) Phonics screening check and key stage 1
assessments: England 2016 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/phonicsscreening-check-and-key-stage-1-assessments-england-2016
DfE (20 October, 2016) Early years foundation stage profile results: 2015 to
2016 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/early-years-foundation-stageprofile-results-2015-to-2016
DfE (15 December, 2016) National curriculum assessments: key stage 2, 2016
(revised) https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-curriculumassessments-key-stage-2-2016-revised
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Appendix A
DfE guidance on Key Stage 2 raw and scaled scores
According to DfE: “A pupil’s scaled score is based on their raw score. The raw
score is the total number of marks a pupil scores in a test, based on the number of
questions they answered correctly.
We develop tests each year to the same specification, but because the questions
must be different, the difficulty of tests may vary slightly each year. This means we
need to convert the raw scores pupils get in the tests into a scaled score, to
ensure we can make accurate comparisons of pupil performance over time. Every
scaled score will represent the same level of attainment for a pupil each year, so a
pupil who scores 103, for example, in 2016 will have demonstrated the same
attainment as a pupil who scores 103 in 2017.
A scaled score of 100 will always represent the expected standard on the test.
Pupils scoring 100 or more will have met the expected standard on the test... 80 is
the lowest scaled score that can be awarded and 120 is the highest”
(https://www.gov.uk/guidance/scaled-scores-at-key-stage-2)
DfE also states that: ‘”The percentage of pupils achieving the expected standard
is a combined measure across the three subjects. To be counted towards the
measure, a pupil must have a scaled score of 100 or more in reading and a
scaled score of 100 or more in mathematics; and have been teacher assessed in
writing as ‘working at the expected standard’ or ‘working at a greater depth in the
expected standard’.
The percentage of pupils achieving at a higher standard is also a combined
measure across the three subjects. To be counted towards the measure, a pupil
must have a ‘high scaled score’ of 110 or more in reading and mathematics; and
have been teacher assessed in writing as ‘working at a greater depth within the
expected standard’.”
(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/57
7022/Primary_school_accountability_in_2016_technical-guide.pdf
A table for converting raw test scores to scaled scores can be downloaded from
the DfE website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/534
106/2016_KS2_scaled_scores.pdf As can be seen from the table, a pupil who
scores 25 in the KS2 reading test (their ‘raw score’) will have this converted to a
‘scaled score’ of 103. A pupil whose raw score is 50, has a scaled score of 120.
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The average scaled score is calculated as the mean scaled score of all eligible
pupils who were given a scaled score.
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Appendix B
DfE guidance on interpreting Key Stage 2 progress scores
According to DfE: “The previous ‘expected progress measure’ has been replaced
by ‘value added’ type progress measures in reading, writing and mathematics.
There is no ‘target’ for the amount of progress an individual pupils is expected to
make. Any amount of progress a pupil makes contributes towards the progress
score”.
Also: “Progress scores are presented as positive or negative numbers either side
of zero. A score of zero means that pupils in a school (or group) made the same
progress as those with similar prior attainment nationally; a positive score means
that they made more progress than those with similar prior attainment; a negative
score means they made less progress than pupils with similar starting points
nationally.
A progress score of -4 in reading would mean that, on average, pupils in a school
achieved the equivalent of 4 scaled score points lower in reading than all pupils
with similar prior attainment nationally. A negative progress score does not mean
pupils made no progress”
(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/57
7296/SFR62_2016_text.pdf)
DfE guidance on interpreting progress scores is at school level, but the principle
would be the same for the scores in table 28. “Progress scores will be centred
around 0, with most schools within the range of -5 to +5.
 A score of 0 means pupils in this school on average do about as well at KS2
as those with similar prior attainment nationally.
 A positive score means pupils in this school on average do better at KS2 as
those with similar prior attainment nationally.
 A negative score means pupils in this school on average do worse at KS2 as
those with similar prior attainment nationally.

A negative score does not mean that pupils did not make any progress, rather it
means they made less progress than other pupils nationally with similar starting
points.
For example, if a school has a maths score of -4 this would mean that on average
pupils in this school achieved 4 scaled scores less than other pupils nationally
with similar starting points.
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School scores should be interpreted alongside their associated confidence
intervals.”
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/560
969/Primary_school_accountability_summary.pdf.pdf
END
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