Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether students taking music as a GCSE subject perform better overall in the Attainment 8 measure.

The average Attainment 8[1] scores of pupils in state funded schools[2], at the end of key stage 4[3], split by whether they entered a GCSE or equivalent[4] qualification in music[5], are presented in the tables below.

Differences in Attainment 8 scores occur for a number of reasons. These include the prior attainment of pupils (which is controlled for in the Progress 8 measure) and the number of GCSEs taken by pupils (pupils taking more qualifications are more likely to obtain a higher score and pupils taking more qualifications are more likely to take music). The response to PQ 115227 includes more detail about the Progress 8 measure for pupils who take a music GCSE.

1. Attainment 8 is a new measure which schools and pupils are still adjusting to and with the ongoing transition to reformed GCSEs, it is expected that Attainment 8 scores will be prone to fluctuations initially. Attainment 8 is comprised of a selection of a pupil’s grades and may not include any music qualifications they have sat, therefore it is not possible to unpick which, if any, factors have a definitive influence on these scores. With data for only two years, it is too soon to draw conclusions. More information on Attainment 8 is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/659860/Secondary_accountability_measures_guide.pdf.
2. State-funded schools include academies, free schools, city technology colleges, further education colleges with provision for 14- to 16-year-olds and state-funded special schools. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision.
3. Pupils are identified as being at the end of key stage 4 if they were on roll at the school and in year 11 at the time of the January school census for that year. Age is calculated as at 31 August for that year, and the majority of pupils at the end of key stage 4 were age 15 at the start of the academic year. Some pupils may complete this key stage in an earlier or later year group.
4. Also includes entries in graded music qualifications.
5. Pupils are recorded as ‘entering music’ if they sat at least one exam in any music qualification which is counted in the secondary school performance tables as a GCSE, equivalent or graded music qualification.
6. 2015/16 data is final; 2016/17 data is provisional.