---
title: Analysing KS4 subject results
description: Analysing KS4 subject results | Help & Support — GO 4 Schools
---
[Skip to content](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/analysing-ks4-subject-results#main-content)
English - United Kingdom
Show submenu for translations
- Home
- Products
- Pricing
- Blog
- Company
Open main navigation
Close main navigation
- Home
- Products
- Pricing
- Blog
- Company
- English - United Kingdom
Show submenu for translations
- Contact us
Contact us
How can we help you?
- There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.
1. [GO 4 Schools](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular?hsLang=en-gb)
2. [Curriculum Management](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/curriculum-management?hsLang=en-gb)
# Analysing KS4 subject results
This guidance document is intended to support school and subject leaders with the analysis of KS4 results and tracking in year subject performance using GO 4 Schools. It outlines where key subject level information can be viewed and how to drill down into key focus group analysis at subject and individual class level. Data can be compared with national subject examination results published for the examination year from JCQ or by using [**OFQUAL Analytics**](https://analytics.ofqual.gov.uk/).
This guidance document will focus on subject level analysis. This can be used alongside the performance measures statistics tables in GO 4 Schools for core subjects or subjects that contribute to the EBacc performance measure. Referring to the headline measures table available on the Year 11 home page and the detailed statistics page you may also find it useful to read the ‘Analysing KS4 headline measures guidance’ document.
Effective subject level analysis is crucial to driving successful school improvement. Each subject has the potential to positively influence student outcomes and therefore contribute to the success of the overall performance of the school.
**National Focus groups/areas to investigate from Inspection Data Summary Report (IDSR)**
Key student focus groups are identified as areas to investigate levels of achievement during an OFSTED inspection. They may appear as priorities in your IDSR or within Analyse School Performance (ASP), these areas may be identified as lines of enquiry during an inspection. These include:
- Prior attainment groups based on KS2 outcomes
- Disadvantaged students compared to their peers nationally and against non-disadvantaged student locally.
- Students with SEND
More specific focus group identified nationally as underperforming may include:
- Higher prior attaining, disadvantaged boys
- SEND by prior attainment – all coded groups (EHCP – E, SEND support – K, Statement – S vs non-SEND)
- Outliers – positive and negative
- ESOL entry – for non-English speakers
- Subject – Entry vs attainment based on the coverage of 17 subject clusters – from IDSR.
Whilst these groups have been identified as priorities based upon national data, you may have different focus groups that have been identified from your school level data. By setting up attributes to cover these national focus groups and your school level focus groups, you will ensure that you are able to interrogate your data at any point in the year for these priority students, enabling early support to be provided to ensure any gaps that exist can be reduced or closed so that every student has the potential to achieve their target grade. School managers can create attributes in GO 4 Schools. Should you require additional attributes to support your analysis you should discuss this with you line manager or GO 4 Schools lead person. At subject level, one of the simplest ways to review the achievement of focus groups is by using the **[enhanced ribbons](https://support.go4schools.com/en/support/solutions/articles/80000779542)**. These are available to view at year group level and subject level.
**Viewing subject level key statistics and residuals**
The subject level statistics and residual ribbons are displayed on each subject page, in addition to a breakdown of all focus groups setup in your school site. The subject page is accessible by clicking the subject name on the year 11 homepage or selecting from the **Pathfinder menu \> year group \> subject**. To support the analysis of results data, it is useful to turn on the **exams focus** shown below. This will refresh the subject page and ensure the statistics use actual grades when displaying information.
Key statistics are displayed on the subject page as shown below and include clickable links from the numbers or percentages shown in the tables. The names of the students contributing to the value and those not contributing to the value is then shown so you can investigate further.
You can also select which grades and subjects are included in the subject statistics by clicking on the **change** button shown below. This will enable you to choose whether to use the most recent live data for current and predicted grades or select a snapshot from earlier in the year.
You can always check what data the statistics are based on by checking the text next to the change button as shown below.
You can also view the residual value for the subject for each of the focus groups setup within your school site at the bottom of the subject page, in a section called **Other statistics** as shown below.
**Viewing class level statistics**
You can view the same statistics for an individual class as outlined above for a whole subject. This analysis is found by clicking on the **group** link for the class and is found next to the class markbook link, as shown below.
If a teacher has linked their account to their timetable, they will be able to access the links for their own timetabled classes by clicking on teacher in the main menu, and then accessing the markbook or group link.
**TIP**: The class level statistics provides key statistics, residual and focus group information related to the specific class that can be used to inform lesson planning.
**Discounted pathways**
You are also able to select the subject qualifications that are included within the statistics, which is particularly important if you have subjects that either share a qualification code or share a discount code. In these instances, you can include or exclude a subject from the subject statistics by clicking on the checkbox. You can see in the example below that the AQA English qualification has been excluded from the statistics, so only the statistics for the Edexcel English qualification will be displayed for analysis.
Note: If you select to compare subjects with the same discount code but have different grading schemes i.e., BTEC Award vs GCSE then the statistics will be limited in what they can display.
For example, GCSE PE and OCR Cambridge National in Sport studies
Only the tables showing the overall numeric points and Pass rates (numeric) will display with the Transition matrices. The grade distribution tables cannot display both sets of grading schemes for each qualification.
**Subject transition matrices**
Transition matrices are also displayed showing the progress of students from the KS2 results to actual GCSE grade. There are two types of transition matrix.
- Transition matrix for KS2 or baseline data compared to qualification grades.
- Scaled score transition matrices that display the scaled score bands compared to the GCSE qualification grade.
The transition matrices for English and maths will use the **KS2 English Reading** and **KS2 Maths** results respectively. The scaled score transition matrices will also show for other subjects using the average KS2 scaled scores then distributed into bands. The transition matrices you display can be controlled in the **Curriculum \> Statistics and analysis settings** page, both transition matrices can be set to display for specific year groups:
You can select what grades you wish to display in the matrix and can select multiple grades so you can compare the matrices. This will produce a new table for the additional grade type and enable you to compare them, such as predicted and actual grades.
The scaled score transition matrices show the scaled score bands as published by the DfE to make is easier to view the bands of prior attainment compared to your GCSE grades.
**TIP**: Your transition matrices can then be compared with the [**national transition matrices**](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ready-reckoners-for-key-stage-4-2017) published by the DfE to identify strengths and areas for improvement. This is a useful way to compare subject performance against national performance in a more specific way. It may also help to inform your target setting and teaching and learning approach as you can identify where you should be stretching certain groups of students further.
The transition matrices will show the data at the scaled score level – these can be useful but if you have a wide spread of KS2 data they are difficult to read.
If you upload the end of year 7 achieved grade as a baseline grade you can view a transition matrix comparing their GCSE outcomes with starting points. The example below is an example from a school that tracks on a GCSE 9-1 school scheme and is comparing the Y7 baseline grade with the current grade. This will show as progress. E.g.: One student achieving a grade 1 in Y7 in the Y10 matrix is showing as a grade 2, if you click on the number in the cell, you can see the student and click into their details.
**Key group analysis using the enhanced ribbons**
The enhanced ribbons are displayed on each subject page as shown below and will use the residual scheme settings (colouring, grade value tolerances and band label) selected by your school. The ribbons are an excellent way to identify patterns between different classes and identify specifically which students are below target and require further support to achieve their target. The ribbons also enable you to compare the performance of key focus groups quickly and clearly at the subject level using either interactive tables or ribbons.
See the article - **[Tracking and Progress Settings Detail](https://support.go4schools.com/en/support/solutions/articles/80000768881)** for guidance on how to select **actual** grades as the preferred progress grade just for Year 11. This will enable you to use the ribbons to analyse your actual results.
**TIP**: You can also watch the video titled ‘New Enhanced ribbons and exam analysis’ available on the [online resources page](https://www.go4schools.com/schools/Support/OnlineResources.aspx) ‘statistics’ section for further guidance on the interactive functionality.
The residual information shown below, including average residual for each group in the subject and overall residual is displayed by default for every subject and group. You can also add new ribbons to include additional information about specific focus groups by clicking on ‘add ribbon(s)’ shown below and selecting the focus group.
The type of ribbon selected will display the appropriate data as required, selecting whole grade and official numeric points the ribbons will be the same but by default the data will display the % at grade 5 or the average numeric points for each group.
By clicking on the menu shown below, you can select additional focus groups. This enables you to see the residual, current and target grade information for very specific groups of students without having to create a separate attribute, such as disadvantaged boys shown below.
All the ribbons are interactive and will provide further detail about student numbers, names and student pictures if you hover over the residual bar or click on a specific residual colour, as shown below. The information displayed in the pop-out can then be exported into a data explorer or downloaded as a CSV.
In addition to viewing the residual information for all students and selected focus groups as coloured bars, you can also choose to view the residual ribbon information as a combined table. If you click on the box shown below, you can view all the ribbons you have selected as a table.
The table provides options to display student counts, percentages or both or as cumulative data. Alternatively, the data can be downloaded as a CSV file or printed. The cells within the table are also interactive and will display student names and pictures if you click on them.
You are also able to select any custom attributes you have created to show multiple focus groups, and display these as ribbons or table views. The example below shows the multiple focus group created to display disadvantaged, gender, and prior attainment.
**Using the subject data explorer**
In addition to the subject key statistics, further detailed analysis at individual student level within the subject can be completed by clicking on and using the ‘new subject explorer’ shown below.
The subject explorer view provides the data for the students identified as completing the subject. It enables you to access all of the information contained in GO particularly related to subject level, including group and teacher information, marksheet data, plus headline measures such as Progress/Attainment 8, behaviour, attendance and homework information. This explorer view is an excellent way to interrogate and triangulate detailed information for a subject including focus groups.
**TIP**: To find out more information and see further examples of how to use the new year group explorer, you can watch the video titled ‘New Year and Subject explorer’ available in the **[online resources](https://www.go4schools.com/schools/Support/OnlineResources.aspx)** ‘general’ section.
To manipulate the data in the explorer view, you will need to add or remove columns to show the data you want to view. This is done by clicking on the ‘add/remove columns’ link shown below and then selecting the columns you wish to view using the ‘choose columns’ screen shown below.
This example shows which columns to select to compare the accuracy of teacher assessment, by comparing the current, actual, and previous predicted grades for each teacher and group.
Firstly, delete the columns you don’t want to view using the ‘x’ icon so only last name, first name, current grade and target grade are selected. Now add the required data from the ‘Grades’ column set by selecting ‘English Language: Actual Grade’ and ‘English Language: Predicted Grade’. Then from the ‘Groups and teachers’ column set select both teachers and groups. Finally, from the ‘Grades: Reports/progress’ column set, you can select the predicted grades from previous snapshots. You can then move the selected columns around, so they appear in your preferred order, as shown below.
You are then able to view the data and complete your analysis by removing any previous sorting/filtering and sorting the explorer by group.
You can easily compare the actual results with the last current and predicted grades entered for each student. Then as required compare this to target or earlier predictions to consider accuracy across the year.
**Using the Subject Charts**
You can quickly and clearly visualise the subject statistics available in GO 4 Schools using the subject charts, which are available by clicking on and using the ‘visit the subject charts page’ link shown below from the subject home page.
The charts provide the flexibility to view subject information contained in GO 4 Schools through bar charts, pivot tables, scatter plots or residual charts.
**TIP**: To find out more information and see further examples of how to use the subject charts, you can watch the videos titled ‘Using Pivot Charts’ and ‘Using Scatter Charts’ available in the [**online resource**](https://www.go4schools.com/schools/Support/OnlineResources.aspx) ‘statistics’ section.
To draw a bar chart and pivot table representing the transition matrix for your subject, filtered by pupil premium, select the information shown below. Use the subject Year 7 baseline grade for the row and the subject actual grade (as a whole grade) for the column and data options. Keep aggregation to ‘count’.
If you click on **Draw bar chart and pivot table** at this stage you will see a bar chart and pivot table showing the comparison for **all** students, as shown in the example below. If you then click on the **filtered by** icon, you will be able to select how you want to filter the bar chart and pivot table. In this example we are going to filter the data by pupil premium. If you click on the cog icon next to ‘filtered by’ and select pupil premium ‘true’ from the most recent demographic column you will be able to compare the performance of this focus group.
This is a useful view as you can start to quickly identify positive or negative student conversion from their KS2 data to their GCSE result. You can then also compare student actual achievement to targets and could compare the subject matrices to the national transition matrices produced by the DfE. Further analysis can then be completed to identify class trends or effective teaching and revision strategies that contributed to strong achievement in line with or better than target. You can also use your cursor icon to hover over the actual grades achieved colouring key. The bar chart will highlight the distribution of values for that grade, helping to identify the spread of data and potential strengths or weaknesses across prior attainment groups requiring further investigation at student level.
You can also use your cursor icon to hover over a bar or the table value to identify more detailed information about the values or click on the table value to identify which student or students you are viewing.
If you then click on the name of the student, you will open the student overview page where you can further investigate the achievement of the individual student in more detail.
To draw a scatter plot representing the comparison between actual GCSE points achieved and the last current grade points values entered in GO 4 Schools, coloured by teaching groups, and filtered by pupil premium, select the information shown below. Use the **Grades\>Numeric GCSE points** menu then select current grade official numeric points for the x axis and actual grade official points for the y axis. Then colour the points by English language groups.
If you click on **Draw scatter plot** at this stage you will see a scatter plot showing the comparison for ‘all’ students, as shown in the example below. If you then click on the ‘edit’ icon, you will return to the scatter plot design wizard where you can select how you want to colour the points. Note: There can be multiple students at each point clicking on the dot will show you all these students.
This is a useful view as you can start to quickly identify positive or negative student outliers that achieved better or worse than the last data entered by the teacher. Such as those students who were working at a grade 5 but achieved a grade 4 or students who achieved a grade that was higher than their current grade. Further analysis can then be completed to identify class trends or effective teaching and revision strategies that contributed to achievement better than recorded by the class teacher.
You can also filter the scatter plot to identify focus group performance for comparison. If you click on the cog icon next to ‘filtered by’ and select pupil premium ‘true’ from the most recent demographic column you will be able to compare the performance of this focus group across all the classes in the subject.
You can also select multiple filters to support analysis or select custom attributes created by your school.
You can also use your cursor icon to hover over the class codes colouring key. The scatter plot will highlight the distribution of values for that class, helping to identify the spread of data and potential strengths or weaknesses requiring further investigation at student level.
You can also use your cursor icon to hover over a point to identify more detailed information about the values or click on the point to identify which student or students you are viewing. Remember one point on the scatter plot may represent multiple students that achieved the same points values.
If you then click on the name of the student, you will open the student overview page where you can further investigate the achievement of the individual student in more detail.
**Useful links and Supplementary Guidance**
- Education Endowment Foundation – Teaching and Learning Toolkit
[https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit#closeSignup](https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evidence-summaries/teaching-learning-toolkit#closeSignup)
- Education Endowment Foundation – Practical Tools [https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/](https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/)
- Using Ofsted’s IDSR guide: [https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-inspection-data-summary-report-idsr-guide#ofsted-idsr-2022](https://www.gov.uk/guidance/school-inspection-data-summary-report-idsr-guide#ofsted-idsr-2022)
- Ofsted – School Inspection Handbook to be used from September 2022 [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/schools-inspection-handbook-for-september-2022](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-inspection-handbook-eif/schools-inspection-handbook-for-september-2022)
- School accountability 2022 - [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-accountability-approach-2020-to-2022](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-accountability-approach-2020-to-2022)
- OFQUAL analytics : GCSE Outcomes [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-accountability-approach-2020-to-2022](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-accountability-approach-2020-to-2022)
- Infograph 2021 results: [https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infographic-gcse-results-2021/infographics-for-gcse-results-2021](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/infographic-gcse-results-2021/infographics-for-gcse-results-2021)
- JCQ 2018 Examination Results Publications – Subject Breakdowns [https://www.jcq.org.uk/examination-results/](https://www.jcq.org.uk/examination-results/)
- [FAQs](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/faqs?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Data Management](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/data-management?hsLang=en-gb#main-content)
- [Full Module Guide](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/data-management?hsLang=en-gb#full-module-guide)
- [General User Guides](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/general-user-guides?hsLang=en-gb#main-content)
- [Quick Guides](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/general-user-guides?hsLang=en-gb#quick-guides)
- [Curriculum Management](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/curriculum-management?hsLang=en-gb#main-content)
- [Quick Guides](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/curriculum-management?hsLang=en-gb#quick-guides)
- [Full Module Guide](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/curriculum-management?hsLang=en-gb#full-module-guide)
- [Behaviour Module Guides](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/behaviour-module-guides?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Attendance Module Guides](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/attendance-module-guides?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Student Report Guides](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/student-report-guides?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Homework Module Guides](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/homework-module-guides?hsLang=en-gb#main-content)
- [FAQs](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/homework-module-guides?hsLang=en-gb#faqs)
- [Communications Module Guides](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/communications-module-guides?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Consents Module Guides](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/consents-module-guides?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Document Management Guides](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/document-management-guides?hsLang=en-gb)
- [School Manager Guide](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/school-manager-guide?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Mobile App](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/mobile-app?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Report Manager Guide](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/report-manager-guide?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Seating Plan Guide](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/seating-plan-guide?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Detention Manager Guide](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/detention-manager-guide?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Welsh General User Guide](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/welsh-general-user-guide?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Installation Guide](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/installation-guide?hsLang=en-gb)
- [Video Guides](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/video-guides?hsLang=en-gb#main-content)
- [Markbooks](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/video-guides?hsLang=en-gb#markbooks)
- [Data management](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/video-guides?hsLang=en-gb#data-management)
- [Behaviour management](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/video-guides?hsLang=en-gb#behaviour-management)
- [Consents](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/video-guides?hsLang=en-gb#consents)
- [Reports](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/video-guides?hsLang=en-gb#reports)
- [Communications](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/video-guides?hsLang=en-gb#communications)
- [General](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/video-guides?hsLang=en-gb#general)
- [Seating plans](https://supporttest.go4schools.com/modular/video-guides?hsLang=en-gb#seating-plans)
- Home
- Products
- Pricing
- Blog
- Company
[](https://www.go4schools.com/)
[mailto:email@email.com](mailto:email@email.com)
Copyright © 2026, GO 4 Schools