This article explains how to set up the Value Added National Data page to ensure L3 Value Added is calculated accurately in the KS5 reports.

Level 3 Value Added is a KS5 performance measures that uses KS4 prior attainment and national average data provided by the DfE to show a progress from KS4 to KS5. For an in-depth explanation of how this is calculated, see our article - KS5 - How is L3 Value Added (VA) calculated?

National Data for Value Added

Once the KS4 core baselines have been imported and the Matching page is completed, you will be able to set up your Value Added National Data page in DATA > select KS5 and cohort > GRADES > National Data > Value Added. This page must be completed in order for Value Added to be calculated in the reports.

1 / Set VA Data

Click ‘Edit VA Data’ and select the appropriate year depending on when the cohort is officially reported on. 

For example, if you’re working with 23/24 Leavers, these students were reported on in 2024 and so therefore should use ‘2024 Revised’. This will define the data used in the VA calculations.

If the year you’re working with is not yet available, (i.e. current year 13 and year 12) you are able to select the latest national data listed for the time being. All VA figures generated using this data should be treated with caution, and once the official VA national data for that cohort is eventually released by the DfE, you would need to return to this page and select the correct Value Added year.

Once you have selected this, click ‘Save’.

2 / Approved Value Added Qualifications

Analytics will then automatically populate the ‘Approved Value Added Qualifications’ table where data is available for the VA year you selected (taken from the DfE's Ready Reckoner).

The information in each column will be populated based on the QN code for each qualification entered in the ‘QN/Qual Title’ column of the Matching page (GRADES > Matching).

If any qualifications are not populated, this means no national data is available for these within the Value Added data year selected, and VA will not be calculated for them in the reports.

If the VA national data for that specific cohort is not yet available, some qualifications may not be assigned because they were not reported on in that year and therefore are not included in the national data. In this case, you may wish to link unassigned qualifications to another VA subject.

It’s worth bearing in mind that the qualification would then be included in VA calculations and figures may not be in line with the DfE. For more information, please see FAQ – Unassigned Qualifications below.

3 / Unapproved Qualifications (Optional)

If you have any ‘Unapproved’ qualifications setup on your Matching page, or qualifications set to Unapproved A Level, Academic, Applied General or Tech Level, you have the option to set these up to see Value Added calculated for them internally. Value Added scores for unapproved qualifications will not count towards headline figures in the reports, but may be used for internal analysis. To enable Value Added for these qualifications, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the ‘Configure unapproved qualifications:’ toggle to set to ‘Yes’.

Once this is enabled, you can then click ‘Edit Unapproved Qualifications’ and search for the qualification(s) by name in the ‘VA Data Subject Name’ column. Once you are happy with your selections, click ‘Save’.

If you wish for Value Added to no longer be calculated for unapproved qualifications, you can set the above toggle to ‘No’ again and the settings made previously will be remembered should you return to enable this.  

FAQ - Unassigned Qualifications

If the national data for the cohort you are working with is not available yet and you have selected to use VA data from a previous year in the meantime, you have the option to use a similar subject’s national data for qualifications that have not auto-assigned, if you wish to. Bear in mind however that this may affect the accuracy of VA calculations in your reports.

To do this, click ‘Edit Approved Qualifications’. Then, within the VA Data Subject Name column, search for the appropriate qualification using either the subject name, cohort, qualification type, qualification type code, or a combination of these. Click on the appropriate option returned to assign this.

It is only possible to do this for the rows that are blank. Qualifications that have been automatically populated cannot be edited.

Once you have selected the relevant data here, click ‘Save’. The row will now be populated with the selection(s) made.

If you have qualifications assigned manually, an additional ‘Revert to Default Linking’ button will be available at the top of the table. Selecting this will remove all manually assigned qualifications, leaving only those populated automatically based on their QN data.

Warning Icons 

The red icon indicates that there is a size mismatch between the data selected on the Value Added National Data page and the grade method in use within the EAP selected for that qualification on the Matching page (GRADES > Matching).

This must be resolved before publishing the reports to ensure accuracy in your Value Added figures. We recommend double checking that you have selected the correct size national data for your qualification and that the qualification has been set up correctly on the Matching page, or coming on to Live Chat with the QN code if you’re unsure.