Sonar Tracker
Overview
This article explains EYFS Benchmarking Analysis, detailing its purpose, how to access it, the information it includes, and its controls.
Purpose
EYFS Benchmarking Analysis lets schools compare teacher assessment data with results from other schools using Sonar Tracker within their Local Authority (LA) and nationally. This helps school leaders understand how their school’s performance compares to wider benchmarks and provides external validation of attainment data.
Tracking GLD and Tracking All Goals benchmarking calculations are based on anonymised, aggregated attainment data that is submitted by Sonar Tracker Schools (representing an average of around one million pupils). Your school’s results are compared against the average outcomes of Sonar Schools within your Local Authority and across the country, helping identify strengths and areas for improvement.
Benchmarking data is collected three times per year, allowing you to monitor performance regularly and use insights to inform planning and improvement strategies.
EYFS Benchmarking Analysis compares performance across three levels:
- School - Your school’s live results from the tracker, by subject and year group.
- Local Authority - The average results for Sonar Tracker schools within your Local Authority.
- National - The average results for all Sonar Tracker schools nationally.
The report includes benchmarking for EYFS and Nursery, Tracking GLD and Tracking All Goals.
Although GLD and All Goals cannot be achieved until the end of Reception, Nursery is included within EYFS Benchmarking to enable you to see shortfalls in performance early on, giving you time to reallocate resources to focus on any gaps before pupils get to the end of Reception. It is for this reason that the measures are prefixed with Tracking.
Using EYFS Benchmarking Analysis, you can:
- Compare your school's performance against national Sonar Tracker benchmarks.
- Compare your school's performance with Local Authority averages.
- Analyse cohort performance in GLD and All Goals.
- Examine the performance of key contextual groups, ethnic groups and attendance groups.
The benchmarking report supports strategic decision-making by helping you to:
- Understand how key groups perform compared with other Sonar Tracker schools.
- Identify attainment gaps and areas of underperformance, including those pupils in Nursery.
- Evaluate the impact of improvement strategies and interventions.
- Monitor outcomes for disadvantaged pupils compared with non-disadvantaged pupils.
- Validate your performance and drive continuous improvement.
Prerequisites
- You must subscribe to the Benchmarking module.
Opening the page
Select Benchmarking from menu, then select EYFS.
By default, you are presented with the National Summary view for the current Benchmark period.
Report View
Elements
Select to expand and find out more:
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Headlines
Different headline figures are displayed on reports, depending on the Year Group and benchmark (Tracking GLD or Tracking All Goals) selected:
Purple large values indicate the school's performance.
Red minus percentages indicate underperformance compared to benchmark averages.
Green positive percentages indicate better performance than the benchmark average.
Depending on National / LA / All Filters selected, a comparison to the Sonar National benchmark figure and LA (Local Authority) figure is displayed.
Field Name Description Headlines - Tracking GLD This headline figure shows Whole School % GLD for the whole of EYFS in your school or for the selected Year Group, for the Benchmark Period.
Headlines - Tracking All Goals This headline figure shows Whole School % All Goals for the whole of EYFS in your school or for the selected Year Group, for the Benchmark Period.
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Year Group Summary
This table is displayed when the Summary filter is selected, showing Tracking GLD and Tracking All Goals by Year Group:
Purple large values indicate the individual year group performance.
Red minus percentages indicate underperformance compared to benchmark averages for the specific subject for the specific Year Group.
Green positive percentages indicate better performance than the benchmark average for the specific subject for the specific Year Group.
Depending on National / LA / All Filters selected, a comparison to the Sonar National benchmark figure and LA (Local Authority) figure is displayed for the specific subject for the specific Year Group.
Field Name Description Year Group The specific Year Group that the benchmark figures relate to Tracking GLD This headline figure shows those pupils Tracking GLD for the selected Year Group, for the Benchmark Period.
Tracking All Goals This headline figure shows those pupils Tracking All Goals for the selected Year Group, for the Benchmark Period.
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Contextual Group Analysis
Use this dynamic table to compare how pupils within the different Contextual Groups are performing (Tracking GLD or Tracking All Goals) compared to the same Contextual Groups in their local authority or nationwide:
Comparison values are indicated using a colour scale:
- Green (Significantly Above) - The Contextual Group for the specific Year Group is performing at least 10% above the LA/National benchmark average (as applicable) for that group.
- Light green (Slightly Above) - The Contextual Group for the Year Group is performing 2.6% to 9.9% above the LA/National benchmark average for that group.
- Yellow (Within) - The Contextual Group for the specific Year Group is performing at between 2.5% above to 2.5% below the LA/National benchmark average for that group.
- Peach (Slightly Below) - The Contextual Group for the specific Year Group is performing between 2.6% to 9.9% below the LA/National benchmark average for that group.
- Red (Significantly Below) - The Contextual Group for the specific Year Group is performing at least 10% below the LA/National benchmark average for that group.
Field Name Description Group Contextual Group. Year Year Group.
Actual The school's performance for the Contextual Group within the selected Year Group, expressed as a percentage, for those pupils who are Tracking GLD or Tracking All Goals (as selected) for the selected Benchmark Period.
LA LA represents the percentage difference between the school's performance and the Local Authority average for the Contextual Group within the Year Group, which can be positive or negative. National National represents the percentage difference between the school's performance and the National average for the Contextual Group within the Year Group, which can be positive or negative.
Where pupils are slightly or significantly below the LA or National average, apply contextual filters in the Sonar Tracker: EYFS Good Level of Development Tracking Report to drill down and further to investigate.
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Ethnicity Analysis
Use this dynamic table to compare how pupils within the different Ethnic Groups are performing (Tracking GLD or Tracking All Goals) compared to the same Ethnic Groups in their local authority or nationwide:
Comparison values are indicated using a colour scale:
- Green (Significantly Above) - The Ethnic Group for the specific Year Group is performing at least 10% above the LA/National benchmark average (as applicable) for that group.
- Light green (Slightly Above) - The Ethnic Group for the specific Year Group is performing at between 2.6% to 9.9% above the LA/National benchmark average (as applicable) for that group.
- Yellow (Within) - The Ethnic Group for the specific Year Group is performing at between 2.5% above to 2.5% below the LA/National benchmark average (as applicable) for that group.
- Peach (Slightly Below) - The Ethnic Group for the specific Year Group is performing between 2.6% to 9.9% below the LA/National benchmark average (as applicable) for that group.
- Red (Significantly Below) - The Ethnic Group for the specific Year Group is performing at least 10% below the LA/National benchmark average (as applicable) for that group.
Field Name Description Group Ethnic Group. Year Year Group.
Actual The school's performance for the Ethnic Group within the selected Year Group, expressed as a percentage, for those pupils who are Tracking GLD or Tracking All Goals (as selected) for the selected Benchmark Period.
LA LA represents the percentage difference between the school's performance and the Local Authority average for the Ethnic Group within the Year Group, which can be positive or negative. National National represents the percentage difference between the school's performance and the National average for the Ethnic Group within the Year Group, which can be positive or negative.
Where pupils are slightly or significantly below the LA or National average, apply ethnicity filters in the Sonar Tracker: EYFS Good Level of Development Tracking Report to drill down and further to investigate.
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Attendance Analysis (EYFS)
Use this dynamic table to compare how pupils within the different Attendance Groups are performing (Tracking GLD or Tracking All Goals) compared to the same Attendance Groups in their local authority or nationwide:
Comparison values are indicated using a colour scale:
- Green (Significantly Above) - Pupils in this attendance band are performing at least 10% above the comparable LA/National benchmark average (as applicable).
- Light green (Slightly Above) - Pupils in this attendance band are performing between 2.6% to 9.9% above the LA/National benchmark average (as applicable).
- Yellow (Within) - Pupils in this attendance band are performing at between 2.5% above to 2.5% below the LA/National benchmark average (as applicable).
- Peach (Slightly Below) - Pupils in this attendance band are performing between 2.6% to 9.9% below the LA/National benchmark average (as applicable).
- Red (Significantly Below) - Pupils in this attendance band are performing at least 10% below the LA/National benchmark average (as applicable).
Field Name Description Group Attendance Group / band. Year Year Group.
Actual The school's performance for the Attendance Group within the selected Year Group, expressed as a percentage, for those pupils who are Tracking GLD or Tracking All Goals (as selected) for the selected Benchmark Period.
LA LA represents the percentage difference between the school's performance and the Local Authority average for the Attendance Group within the Year Group, which can be positive or negative. National National represents the percentage difference between the school's performance and the National average for the Attendance Group within the Year Group, which can be positive or negative.
Where pupils are slightly or significantly below the LA or National average, apply attendance filters in the Sonar Tracker: EYFS Good Level of Development Tracking Report to drill down and further to investigate.
Controls
| Benchmark Period |
Select the Benchmark Period. By default, the latest Benchmark Period is displayed: Your subscription determines the values listed. You can only see benchmarking data for the periods you subscribe to (you cannot see benchmark data from outside your subscription period). |
| National / LA / All Filters |
Select one of the National, LA (Local Authority) or All (National and LA) filters to determine the data you want to display in the report: Your selection will change the level of data shown. |
| Tracking GLD / Tracking All Goals by Year Group | Select a tab based on which Year Group and which measure (Tracking GLD or Tracking All) that you want to view in the report. |
| Select to sort contextual, ethnicity and attendance group tables by the contents of a specific column in ascending / descending order. This is powerful if you want to identify your most at-risk groups based on how far away they are from the benchmark averages. | |
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Select to create a PDF version of the report. When created, the report is automatically downloaded to your device. To view the report in PDF format, locate and open the PDF file using either the built-in download functionality in your web browser or the file management tools on your device: |
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Select to print a copy of the report. When printing a report, select More settings and decrease / increase the Scale to resize the report so that it fits better onto each page: |
Related information
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