Effectiveness

A: Value-added is a well-recognised measure in relation to A-levels, but less so for other qualifications. The Framework is designed to treat all organisations fairly, regardless of the mix of provision: no provider will have an advantage simply because it offers mainly A-levels.

Q: What about learners who come from overseas and do not have GCSE scores for value-added purposes?

A: It is not possible to calculate a value-added score in these circumstances: an A-level value-added score is calculated for all learners in the cohort for whom prior attainment is available from the English Awarding Bodies.

Q: In the event of a merger, is the new organisation exempt from the Quality of Provision performance indicator until such time there is an Ofsted inspection on it?

A: In the case of institutional mergers we will adopt a pragmatic approach to combine data to generate Framework scores, where appropriate, and in liaison with the new institution and Ofsted.

Q: If the provider is withdrawing their provision, should this be included in Qualification Success Rates (QSRs)?

A: The Framework is intended to provide a summary of a provider’s most recent performance, and the success rates grade will cover all provision in each constituent group of QSRs based on the previous year’s Individualised Learner Record (ILR) - that is, 2007/08 ILR for Phase 1.

Q: Does the Quality of Outcomes key performance indicator take into account the ILR information?

A: Yes. The Quality of Outcomes performance indicator is derived directly from ILR data. More generally, to reduce the burden on providers and to adhere to the principles of Managing Information Across Partners (MIAP), Framework data for many performance indicators is drawn from existing sources such as the ILR. A full list of the data sources used to derive the Quality of Outcomes performance indicator can be found in the Framework for Excellence Provider Guide 2008/09 (September).