The Education (School Performance Targets) (England) Regulations 1998

Targets for pupils aged 15

4.—(1) This regulation applies to every school where education is provided which is suitable to the requirements of pupils who have attained the age of 15.

(2) The governing body of a school to which this regulation applies shall, by no later than 31st December in every school year, set the targets specified in paragraph (3) in connection with the performance of the relevant group of pupils aged 15 in GCSE examinations or vocational qualifications.

(3) The targets referred to in paragraph (2) are—

(a) the percentage of the relevant group of pupils aged 15 to achieve, by the end of the following school year, grades A* to C in five or more subjects in GCSE examinations;

(b) the percentage of the relevant group of pupils aged 15 to achieve, by the end of the following school year, grades A* to G in one or more subjects in GCSE examinations; and

(c) the average point score for the school to be achieved by the relevant group of pupils aged 15 by the end of the following school year in GCSE and vocational qualifications.

(4) In paragraph (3)(a) and (b), references to pupils achieving particular grades in GCSE examinations shall be construed for the purposes of those provisions so as to include references to pupils achieving corresponding awards in an equivalent number of vocational qualifications.

(5) Schedule 1 shall have effect for determining for the purposes only of this regulation and regulation 6—

(a) questions as to—

(i) which vocational qualification award corresponds to which GCSE examination grade, and

(ii) the equivalency between GCSE examination results and vocational qualifications; and

(b) the calculation of the average point score for the school in relation to pupils' achievements in GCSE examinations and vocational qualifications.

(6) In this regulation, “the relevant group of pupils aged 15”, in relation to—

(a) a school, and

(b) any school year during which the governing body have a duty to set the targets specified in paragraph (3),

means all persons who, in the following school year, the governing body anticipate—

(i) will be registered pupils at the school on the third Thursday in January, and

(ii) will have attained the age of 15 during the period of twelve months ending on the 31st August immediately preceding that day.