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“Great oaks from little acorns grow.”
14th century proverb

  • What do British boarding schools mean by Value Added? | Dickinson School Consulting

What do British boarding schools mean by Value Added?

In education, Value Added (VA) is the difference between the grade expected due to a student’s baseline assessment score at the beginning of their course and the grade they achieve at the end. A focus on final exam results alone can miss the huge steps students and teachers may have taken along the way, whereas the measure of VA offers a fairer indication of how far a student has come and a fairer measure of how well the school has brought that student on. Therefore, VA helps assess the effectiveness of a school in improving pupil outcomes beyond what would typically be expected. 

A good VA score shows that a school helps pupils exceed expectations, regardless of their starting academic level. This is especially important if a child isn’t already achieving top grades, as it demonstrates the school’s ability to boost performance across all abilities. Exam results alone may reflect pupil intake rather than teaching quality, whereas VA highlights how effectively a school nurtures progress. 

With the numbers from last year’s exam results having been recently crunched, we were delighted to hear from Gresham’s that its A Level VA score of 0.63 placed it:

  • 1st nationally for co-educational independent boarding schools  
  • 8th nationally for all independent schools  
  • 17th nationally for all state and independent schools  

The VA score of 0.6 for A Level and IB combined placed it:

  • 3rd nationally for co-educational independent boarding schools
  • 10th nationally for all independent schools 
  • 21st nationally for all state and independent schools 

These results come from a focus on individual progress and academic growth through personalised support via tracking, reporting and targeted intervention. Outstanding teaching ensures every pupil is challenged and supported, backed up by academic clinics and a robust study skills programme.

This is just one excellent example of what British boarding schools mean by Value Added and how a good school really benefits each pupil’s academic journey, ensuring they leave with the best possible outcomes for their future. All the British boarding schools we work with are dedicated to maximising their students’ potential and we’d love to help you find the right one for your child to maximise theirs. Please contact us to start the journey.