Alps Schools Do Better at KS4

16th January 2025

An increasing number of schools are already using Alps at KS4 as a key part of their approach to improving outcomes. You will have a well-established monitoring and tracking systems already at KS4, so why consider changing to Alps?

A key reason must include the fact that, as was the case in 2023, schools that use Alps do better at KS4 – it is official, in 2024, 66% of Alps KS4 schools received a positive P8 score, against a national average of 43%. This is significant.

Table 1 below shows that Alps schools do better in each of the ‘P8 categories’.

So, why do Alps schools do better at KS4?

Alps’ unique impactful analysis

Using the Alps systems will only be one of the factors that lead to great KS4 outcomes in a school. However, we do have some additional features compared to other systems that we think make a difference, leading to students making more progress.

In essence – we provide extra unique analysis designed to enable school leaders to gain quick, meaningful insights that can be actioned, to support their drive to make a positive difference in the outcomes for their students. In addition, the way we present our data, together with some cool Alps tools, means that our systems are easier to use, and therefore more impactful.

“We have seen huge improvements in our exams analysis processes since using Alps. In particular, the focus on continual improvement through timely and meaningful professional conversations means that teachers and HODs feel well-supported to drive improvement in their own classes and subjects.” –  Rowan Pearson Vice Principal, Phoenix Academy

Additional Analyses unique to Alps

Alps KS4 QI – Quality Indicator

Like the DfE Progress 8 measure, the Alps KS4 QI provides a measure of student progress. Crucially, however, the Alps KS4 QI provides an analysis of the progress that students make across all the qualifications that students are entered for, rather than just their ‘best 8’ subjects and there is no double weighting of English and maths. On this basis, school leaders can use the Alps QI as an additional measure to accurately and evenly monitor progress and evaluate impact across the whole KS4 curriculum and for all key student groups, supporting a ‘leave no stone unturned’ approach.

Alps Subject Specific Benchmarks

From a school improvement perspective, the additional DfE P8 value-added measures related to the EBacc and Open buckets provide some insight into the strength and areas for development across the different areas of the curriculum. However, the insight that school leaders find valuable in this context is one which compares student progress in an individual subject with the progress made by students in that subject in other schools nationally. The Alps subject specific benchmarks, generated from the full DfE data set, provide schools leaders with exactly this analysis, helping them to identify strengths and weaknesses quickly and accurately across all the subjects in their KS4 curriculum.

Effective Monitoring System

Thirdly, effective target setting and monitoring systems are a vital element of a school’s drive to improving outcomes. The Alps Connect platform provides school leaders with the ability to generate aspirational targets based on student performance in the top 25% of the full DfE dataset, for both GCSE and vocational subjects. Using Alps, leaders can quickly analyse in-year monitoring data and compare the progress being made at both subject and student level against these targets.

You can also see watch Rob Jones, Director of Sixth Form at Llantwit Major Schools’ video testimonial here:

 

A note on Prior Attainment Scores

In the absence of KS2 scores for current Yr 10 and 11 students, if you add in a proxy KS2 score for your students the Connect platform will allow you generate Alps Minimum Expected Grades, giving access to both the Alps QI score and indicative P8 analysis. How you arrive at your proxy KS2 score will depend on your own systems. One option is to use either CAT4 or MiDYIS scores, see here for more detail.  Alternatively, we have developed a new cohort distribution model which colleagues at PiXL recently shared at their 2024 summer term conference for those schools without CAT4 data, more detail is here.

Not seen what Alps offers at KS4 recently?

Just as an update, as well as the unique Alps analysis outlined above, the Alps Connect platform also includes both Attainment and P8 analysis. This allows users to track progress at both a cohort and student level in terms of the key KS4 Attainment Measures.

Fig 1. Example of analysis of key cohort attainment measures

You can also view your subject level analysis, to enable your subject leaders and teachers to track attainment in more detail.

Fig 2. Example of Subject level attainment analysis

Grade Distribution Profile

 

Average Points Score

Teachers love using Alps!

The final reason to seriously consider Alps, is that not only do Alps schools do better at KS4 – but teachers love using Alps! I know this from my own experience and from the feedback we receive from customers and personally from visiting over 400 schools since joining the Alps team. We pride ourselves on the quality of our analysis, our customer service (100% happiness rating currently) and on our Educational Expertise (500 training sessions rated at 4.8/5 in the past 2 years’ alone).

And we have won awards to back this up! I am delighted that Alps has won 3 of the inaugural EdTech Impact Awards for 2025. This is significant, because these awards are based on customer reviews, not the decision of a panel of judges.

 

 

 

 

End note from Alps:

We currently work with over 1,200 schools and colleges and 95 Groups and MATs in the UK and internationally, offering our high-quality analysis at both KS4 and KS5.

If you do not use Alps, but are interested in how Alps could support you to improve your outcomes, do not hesitate to contact one of our friendly team at [email protected]. You can also call us 01484 887600 and we will be delighted to speak to you, or you can book a demo with one of our knowledgeable team here.

About the author: Dr Jevon Hirst, Alps Training Director

Jevon has over 20 years’ experience working in education. Prior to joining Alps in 2020, Jevon has worked in a number of senior leadership roles within schools, with responsibilities for teaching, learning, curriculum, strategic planning, self-evaluation and student achievement. Central to these roles, has been the intelligent use of data to inform school improvement and maximise outcomes for students.

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