Neil Harrison, David James and Kathryn Last

The impact of a skills-led qualification on GCSE

attainment: the case of ASDAN's Certificate of

Personal Effectiveness

Education and Employers Taskforce16th October 2012

Background to CoPE (1)

Skills-led qualification offered by ASDAN Based around modules that promote learning

through undertaking ‘challenges’, Plan-Do-Review process and portfolio-building (c.f. Watkins 2010)

Modules include Work-Based Learning and Enterprise and Vocational Preparation - wider key skills run through all modules

Learner-centred, drawing on personal interests, innovative curriculum and mainstream school work

Background to CoPE (2)

Available at Levels 1, 2 and 3 This study focused on Level 2 – usually

taken at KS4 and currently equivalent to B at GCSE

Offered across around 1,000 schools, with around 10,000 young people completing each year

A wide range of young people take CoPE, though pupils with lower measured ability, FSM and special educational needs are over-represented

Use of CoPE in schools

We identified two main uses of CoPE: ‘Thin’ – where used mainly as supplement for

small minority of young people with disrupted education between KS3 and KS4 (e.g. illness, absenteeism, disengagement, behavioural issues)

‘Wide’ – where used as a more mainstream tool either to enhance the curriculum, increase motivation or broaden opportunities for achievement

This distinction is based on data, with the ‘boundary’ set at 25% of cohort

Research method

Three strand approach:1. Analysis of National Pupil Database (NPD) –

statistical analysis of around 500,000 entries for cohort completing KS4 in 2010

2. Matched pairs – quasi-experimental study using pairs of learners either taking or not taking CoPE, but otherwise similar across eight variables

3. Case studies – research visits to four schools (three ‘thin’ and one ‘wide’), with interviews with learners, teachers and school managers

National Pupil Database analysis Multilevel binary logistic regression

Dependent variable is outcome in four variations:1. GCSE English pass at grades A* to G2. GCSE English pass at grades A* to C3. GCSE English pass at grades A* or A4. Achieving five GCSEs passes at A* to C (inc.

Eng/Maths) Identifies the unique impact of each variable

while holding others constant Accounts for clustering of learners within

schools and both individual and school level variables

Variables investigated

NPD findings (1)

GCSE English pass at A* to G: In both ‘thin’ and ‘wide’ schools, taking

CoPE is associated with a significantly higher likelihood

Other significant predictors: Positive: KS3 English outcome (L6/7), gender

(=female), ethnicity (=BME), ESL (=yes), high school English and Maths pass rate

Negative: KS3 English outcome (L2/3/4), FSM (=yes), SEN (=yes), KS3 absentee (=yes), high school deprivation

NPD findings (2)

GCSE English pass at A* to C: In ‘wide’ schools, taking CoPE is associated

with a significantly higher likelihood In ‘thin’ schools, taking CoPE is associated

with a significantly lower likelihood Other significant predictors:

Positive: KS3 English outcome (L6/7), gender (=female), ethnicity (=BME), ESL (=yes), high school English and Maths pass rate, high school deprivation

Negative: KS3 English outcome (L2/3/4), FSM (=yes), SEN (=yes), KS3 absentee (=yes)

GCSE English A* to C

NPD findings (3)

GCSE English pass at A* or A: In ‘wide’ schools, taking CoPE has a non-

significant relationship with the likelihood of achieving pass

In ‘thin’ schools, taking CoPE is associated with a significantly lower likelihood of achieving pass

Other significant predictors: Positive: KS3 English outcome (L6/7), gender

(=female), ethnicity (=BME), ESL (=yes), high school English and Maths pass rate

Negative: KS3 English outcome (L2/3/4), FSM (=yes), SEN (=yes), KS3 absentee (=yes)

NPD findings (4)

Five GCSE passes at A* to C inc Eng/Maths: In ‘wide’ schools, taking CoPE is associated with

a significantly higher likelihood In ‘thin’ schools, taking CoPE is associated with

a significantly lower likelihood Other significant predictors:

Positive: KS3 English outcome (L6/7), ethnicity (=BME), ESL (=yes), high school English and Maths pass rate, high school deprivation

Negative: KS3 English outcome (L2/3/4), gender (=female), FSM (=yes), SEN (=yes), KS3 absentee (=yes)

Five GCSEs at A* to C (inc. E&M)

Paired sample analysis (1)

200 young people completing CoPE in a ‘wide’ school chosen at random from NPD data

Matched with 200 young people in schools not offering CoPE across eight variables: KS3 outcomes and regular absenteeism during

KS3 Gender, ethnicity, special educational needs and

English as additional language Free school meals and neighbourhood deprivation

Creates two ‘identical’ schools for comparison

Paired sample analysis (2)

No CoPE CoPE in ‘wide’ school

GCSE English pass at A* to C

Paired sample analysis (3)

Robust quasi-experimental study The ‘CoPE school’ outperformed the

‘non CoPE school’ across all measures

Mix of significant and non-significant effects

Average uplift of one-fifth of a grade, but much higher for some

Interpretation of findings

In ‘thin’ schools: CoPE is directed towards learners expected to

severely underperform relative to KS3 outcomes Learners do still underperform in relation to

achieving A* to C grades, but more likely to take exams and achieve D or E grades (not F, G or U)

CoPE perceived to mitigate underperformance In ‘wide’ schools:

CoPE is associated with better A* to C pass rates, but not achievement of top grades (A* to A) where subject knowledge vital alongside skills

Does CoPE work better for some? Positive relationship of CoPE stronger

for: Those with special educational needs Those receiving free school meals Those from minority ethnic communities,

including those with English as a second/subsidiary language

Suggests specific role for challenging educational disadvantage

No coherent relationship between CoPE and gender

Why does CoPE work?

Not possible to examine statistically Rich qualitative data from case study

schools Three possible mechanisms identified:

Transferability of skills from CoPE to GCSEs – especially written communication

Increased motivation – learners actively enjoy CoPE and this engages them with other learning

Use of wider knowledge and activity base increases confidence and self-esteem – connects school to ‘lived lives’

Why does it matter?

CoPE is caught up in the current ‘bonfire of the vocationals’. The loss of official equivalence with GCSE will mean schools are much less likely to offer CoPE. Thus: Loss of a learning process that appears to

help a large number of pupils to gain better GCSEs (regarded by some as a prime indicator of labour supply skills)

Loss of explicit work-related opportunities for many pupils at the same time as the removal of the statutory requirement for WRL