Key stage 4
Key stage 4 (KS4) is the legal term for the two years of school education which incorporate GCSEs in maintained schools. This period is normally known as Year 10 and Year 11, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16 years.
There are two key accountability measures for KS4:
- Attainment 8 is the average score of pupils (in a local authority area or at a school) at the end of KS4 in up to eight subjects, usually at GCSE level.
- Progress 8 is a measure of the progress made by pupils between KS2 standard assessment tests (SATs) and KS4 attainment 8 (a period of 5 years).
Further information is provided in the 'detailed definitions of attainment 8 and progress 8' section below.
The figures are for 2023/24.
Key figures
- The average attainment 8 score per pupil in Lancashire-12 (44.9) was similar to the North West (44.3), but lower than England (46.1).
- Blackburn with Darwen (44.2) had a similar average attainment 8 score to Lancashire-12, while Blackpool (34.8) was lower.
- The average progress 8 score per pupil in Lancashire-12 (-0.11) was higher than the North West (-0.17), but lower than England (-0.03).
- Blackburn with Darwen (-0.11) had an average progress 8 score that was the same as Lancashire-12, while this was significantly lower in Blackpool (-0.96).
- For pupils on free school meals (FSM), the average attainment 8 score (32.5) was lower that of non-FSM pupils (48.4) in Lancashire-12.
- Average attainment 8 scores of were higher for girls (47.2) than boys (42.6) in Lancashire-12.
- Pupils with no special educational needs (SEN) had a higher average attainment 8 score (48.1) than both SEN pupils with an EHCP (11.8) and SEN pupils without an EHCP (31.0) in Lancashire-12.
Source: Department for Education (DfE) Data files: 202324_la_char_data_revised.csv & 202324_pr_lad_data_revised.csv. Breakdowns by FSM, SEN and gender are from 202324_la_char_data_revised.csv and do not go down to district level. The overall attainment 8 and progress 8 scores for Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool are in both files and are different, so for these unitary authorities we have used the figures from 202324_lachar_data_revised.csv throughout.
Overall attainment and progress
Finalised data for GCSE's suggests that during 2023/24, the average attainment 8 score per pupil for Lancashire (44.9) was lower than in England (46.1) but was higher than in Blackpool (34.8), Blackburn with Darwen (44.2) and the North West (44.3).
The average attainment 8 scores for pupils in Chorley (49.7), Ribble Valley (49.4), Preston (48.1) and South Ribble (46.6) were higher than Lancashire-12, North West and England averages. In contrast, attainment was lower in Pendle (39.6), Burnley (40.3) and Hyndburn (41.2).
The average progress 8 score per pupil for Lancashire-12 (-0.11) was the same as the Blackburn with Darwen (-0.11) score and higher than the Blackpool (-0.96) and North West (-0.17) scores, but lower than the England (-0.03) score. Lancashire-12 pupils and most of the comparator areas are all making below average progress, while in England pupils are making average progress.
Average progress 8 scores were significantly higher than Lancashire-12 in Chorley (0.21), Preston (0.19), and Ribble Valley (0.16), with pupils in these areas typically making above average progress. South Ribble (0.03) also saw average progress 8 scores which were significantly higher than Lancashire-12, with pupils in this district typically achieving average levels of progress. In all remaining districts, pupils typically make below-average progress.
A new secondary school GCSE accountability system had been implemented in 2016. Some of the headline accountability measures for KS4 are as follows:
- Attainment 8 measures the average achievement of pupils in up to 8 qualifications including English (double weighted), maths (double weighted), three further qualifications that count in the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) and three further qualifications that can be GCSE qualifications (including EBacc subjects) or any other non-GCSE qualifications on the Department for Education (DfE) approved list.
- Progress 8 aims to capture the progress a pupil makes from the end of key stage 2 to the end of key stage 4. It compares pupils’ achievement – their Attainment 8 score – with the average Attainment 8 score of all pupils nationally who had a similar starting point (or ‘prior attainment’), calculated using assessment results from the end of primary school. A Progress 8 score of above 0 means a school is making above average progress.
Attainment and free school meals
Eligibility for FSM indicates that a pupil is from a low-income background. The provision of free school meals has traditionally been a reliable indicator of the extent and degree of child poverty in the United Kingdom.
During 2023/24, the average attainment 8 scores of FSM pupils at the end of KS4 in Lancashire-12 (32.5) was lower than that of non-FSM pupils (48.4). The Lancashire-12 FSM pupil's average score was lower when compared with the England score (34.7). The average score of Lancashire-12 was higher than Blackpool (27.0) but lower than the North West (33.3) and Blackburn with Darwen (34.5).
The percentage gap between FSM and non-FSM pupils was wider for Lancashire-12 (+15.9) than each of the other comparator groups. The Lancashire-12 non-FSM pupil performance (48.4) was higher than Blackpool (41.1) and Blackburn with Darwen (47.4) and lower than North West (48.5) and England (49.7).
Attainment and gender
As at other key stages, girls tend to perform better than boys in GCSE examinations. The average attainment 8 scores of girls at the end of KS4 in Lancashire-12 (47.2) was higher than that of boys (42.6). The performance of Lancashire-12 boys was similar to the comparators and above Blackpool (32.9).
Attainment and special educational needs
Education is a key to a more fulfilling future for children, but for those with SEN many barriers can stand in the way of the right education and support. In DfE figures, attainment figures include pupils with SEN who either have an EHCP or receive SEN support but do not have an EHCP.
In Lancashire-12, the average attainment 8 score for SEN pupils with an EHCP (11.8) was considerably lower than non-SEN pupils (48.1). This difference in scores reflects the national picture of lower scores amongst SEN pupils with an EHCP (England = 14.2 vs 50.0 amongst non-SEN pupils). The average attainment 8 scores of Lancashire-12 SEN pupils with an EHCP was higher than Blackpool (5.1), but lower than Blackburn with Darwen (13.0).
The average attainment 8 score for SEN pupils who receive SEN support but do not have an EHCP (31.0) was also lower than non-SEN pupils in Lancashire-12. This average attainment 8 score was lower than in England (33.1).
Attainment and children looked after
The educational attainment of children looked after is much lower than that of their peers. There are a number of factors that contribute to this. For example, there tends to be a higher prevalence of children with statements of special educational needs in the looked after population (around 30% in the looked after population nationally compared to around 3% in the general school age population). Another factor is that many of these children may have come from disadvantaged backgrounds and experience deprivation.
In 2023/24, at KS4 the average attainment 8 score of Lancashire-12 CLA pupils was 17.4. This was higher than the neighbouring unitary comparators performance, but lower than the England (18.3) and the North West (18.5) performance. Lancashire-12 were placed in the 2nd quartile nationally and ranked 48 out of 153 Authorities.
Table 6: GCSE attainment of CLA pupils, average attainment 8 scores 2023/24
| Area | Lancashire-12 | Blackburn with Darwen | Blackpool | North West | England |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average attainment 8 score | 17.4 | 16.1 | 11.1 | 18.5 | 18.3 |
Source: Department for Education (DfE)
The Department for Education website provides statistics on KS4 results for recent years.
Page updated 26 June 2025