Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparison he has made of the educational achievement of students educated (a) at home, (b) in comprehensive schools and (c) in private schools.

The attainment of pupils, at the end of Key Stage 4, in 2017/18,[1] in all state funded mainstream schools, independent schools,[2] selective schools and non-selective schools is provided in the first attached table. Figures for 16-18 attainment in 2017/18 are provided in the second attached table.

The Department no longer publishes attainment for comprehensive schools, instead schools are grouped by whether they have a selective admissions policy.

The Department does not collect attainment data on children educated at home since there is no requirement to register children who are educated at home.

The data published by the Department for independent and state funded schools at Key Stage 4, is not on an equivalent basis, and as such is not directly comparable. A number of independent schools choose to enter their pupils into unregulated international GCSEs, which do not count in the department’s published school performance table measures. The number of independent school pupils sitting ineligible qualifications affects the figures shown for independent school performance, as pupils are less likely to sit the required exams to complete the English Baccalaureate or Attainment 8. The Department does not publish a Progress 8 score for independent schools for similar reasons.

[1] Figures are based on provisional data. Includes entries and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years.

[2] Not including independent special schools.