Sisra Analytics: What DfE Rules are applied to my KS4 reports?

Overview

This article explains how to determine which DfE rules are applied to your KS4 reports.

When publishing KS3/4 reports, a Sisra Administrator at your school choose which reporting year's rules (DfE Rules) to apply for calculating School Performance Measures within the reports, for example, Headlines, A8/P8, Basics, EBacc, and VA.

They do this because the rules on how qualifications can count towards performance tables can change year on year, based on DfE guidance.

The appropriate DfE Rules must be used for each cohort to ensure your headline figures are accurate.

DfE rules do not affect student-based performance figures.

Instructions

To check which DfE Rules have been used to publish a report:

Either select Dataset Info to the right of the selected report on the Reports page:
Or select the information icon from an open report:

Outcome

The dataset information will be displayed for the report, including details of the DfE Rules that have been applied:

The rules and associated thresholds are explained in the sections below.

Overview of DfE Rules

Unapproved qualifications will not count towards school performance measures in any year, regardless of the DfE Rules selected.

2022 (21/22 Leavers and later)

Same as 2017, except:

The DfE confirmed that early entries taken in 2020 and 2021 would not contribute points in 2022, so the 2022 rules were introduced to reflect this. Any grades with a 'Results Date' set between 01/08/2021 and 31/08/2021 would not count towards performance measures.

2017 (16/17 Leavers to 20/21 Leavers)

2017 Attainment 8 points introduced.
First entry discounting applies to all qualifications.
Maximum of 3 non-GCSEs can count towards Headline performance measures.
Non-GCSEs are no longer given a post GCSE date (so that previously GCSEs always won).
Qualifications smaller than a single GCSE cannot count. ^[1]
Qualifications larger than a single GCSE count as 1 entry. ^[2]
English Language and Literature are equally weighted (either can count towards English performance measures).
Basics measure – Students no longer require an entry in both Language and Literature. New points thresholds used in headlines updated (EBacc & Basics), explained later on.

2016 (15/16 Leavers)

Same rules above, bar:

2016 Attainment 8 points.
2016 points thresholds used in headlines (EBacc & Basics), explained later on.

2015 (14/15 Leavers)

First Entry discounting applies to all qualifications.
Maximum of 2 non-GCSEs can count towards Headline performance measures.
Qualifications smaller than a single GCSE cannot count.^[1]
Qualifications larger than a single GCSE count as 1 entry. ^[2]

^[1] L3 Asset Languages, L3 FSMQ, and ABRSM Grade 6 qualifications are all smaller in size than a single GCSE but are on the List of Approved Qualifications from 2014 onwards and can count towards measures.

^[2] Double Award Science counts as both entries in the EBacc Science measure and towards Attainment 8.

Points Thresholds Explained

The option selected by your Administrator when publishing also determines the points thresholds for unreformed GCSEs. This is because the points thresholds (set by the DfE) change according to whether 2016 or 2017 Attainment 8 points are used to calculate the performance measures.

Example

A C grade at GCSE will count as an EBacc Strong Pass in both years, but as the points awarded are different across the 2 years (5 points in 2016, 4 points in 2017), different points thresholds need to be used in the reports to reflect the measures accurately.

	Strong Pass		Standard Pass
	2016	2017 & Later	2016	2017 & Later
GCSE 9-1	5	5	4	4
*GCSE A-G**	5	4	4	3
AS Level	4.5	3.5	4.5	3.5

Updated 28 March 2025 12:37