News

DfE finally sets-out ‘coasting’ definition

The DfE’s definition of ‘coasting’ has been put out for consultation, but it has sparked concerns after proposing a higher pupil progress bar for coasting than for the floor standard. Pete Henshaw reports

“A coasting school is where data shows that, over a three-year period, the school is failing to ensure that pupils reach their potential. A school will only be coasting if performance data falls below the coasting bar in all three previous years.”

This is the proposed definition of a “coasting school” that has been set-out by the Department for Education (DfE).

The proposals, which are subject to consultation, state that “no school will be identified as coasting until after final 2016 performance data is published” (in late 2016 for key stage 2).

New progress-based accountability arrangements are coming into force in 2016, meaning that the first coasting judgements will be based on data from 2014 and 2015 under the old system and 2016 under the new system.

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