- guardian.co.uk, Tuesday November 20 2001 23.45 GMT
The RAE tables
We have a made a number of assumptions in compiling the tables for the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise.
When calculating institutional average ratings, we used a linear seven-point scale for the research ratings awarded to institutions. Thus one, two, three b, three a, four, five, five star was replaced by one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
EducationGuardian.co.uk's rating for an institution is calculated by multiplying the scores by the numbers of researchers in departments, summing this across all departments in an institution, and dividing by the total number of researchers of the institution. Finally we multiply this figure by the proportion of staff submitted to the assessment by the institution.
The average weighted rating is the average without multiplying by the proportion of staff submitted to the assessment by the institution.
The research power is simply the rating multiplied by the number of researchers.
The proportion of staff submitted by university departments is expressed in letters, A, B, C, D, E, F. They represent the following percentages:
A = 95-100% staff submitted
B = 80-94.9%
C = 60-79.9%
D = 40-59.9%
E = 20-39.9%
F = below 20%
The citation impact score measures the average citations per paper for an institution compared with the world average across similar subject areas. (The world average is given a figure of one).
We have grouped institutions into several family tables, so comparisons can be made for like institutions. These cover Welsh and Scottish institutions, as well as specialist institutions. We have compiled four tables for institutions with similar levels of research income. These are called: the Russell group; the 94 group; other old universities; and new universities.
When comparing ratings for 2001 and 1996 we calculated weighted averages for ratings when there was multiple submissions and changes in institutions. We have listed 1996 submissions, even when there are no corresponding 2001 submissions.
The following institutions merged in the five years between the two assessments.
Institute of Psychiatry; King's College London
Institute of Ophthalmology: University College London
National Heart & Lung Institute; Imperial College
Institute of Child Health; University College London
Salford College of Technology; University of Salford
Institute of Neurology; University College London
Royal Postgraduate Medical School; Imperial College
Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School; Imperial College
La Sainte Union; University of Southampton
Loughborough College of Art & Design; Loughborough University
United Medical and Dental School (UMDS); King's College London
Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine; University College London
School of Slavonic & East European Studies; University College London
Eastman Dental Institute; University College London
Westminster College Oxford; Oxford Brookes University
Wye College; Imperial College
North Riding; University of Hull
West London Institute of HE; Brunel University
Natural Resources Institute; University of Greenwich
Moray House Institute of Education; University of Edinburgh
Northern College of Education; University of Aberdeen and University of Dundee
Scottish College of Textiles; Heriot-Watt University
St Andrews College of Education; University of Glasgow
The following institutions are new to the RAE in 2001:
Cumbria College of Art and Design
Royal Agricultural College
Rose Bruford College
The University of the Highlands and the Islands Project
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
The following institutions have had name changes since 1996:
Liverpool Hope - Liverpool Institute of HE
St Martin's College - S.Martin's College
Harper Adams University College - Harper Adams Agriculture College
Bath Spa University College - Bath College of HE
Buckinghamshire Chilterns University College - Buckinghamshire College of HE
University College Northampton - Nene College
Surrey Institute of Art and Design, University College - Surrey Institute of Art & Design
Canterbury Christ Church University College - Canterbury Christ Church College
Queen Margaret University College Edinburgh - Queen Margaret College
University College Worcester - Worcester College of HE
University College Chichester - Chichester Institute of HE
University of Surrey Roehampton - Roehampton Institute
University of Lincoln - University of Lincolnshire and Humberside
University of Newcastle - University of Newcastle upon Tyne
Queen Mary, University of London - Queen Mary and Westfield College
York St John College - College of Ripon & York St John
University of Gloucestershire - Cheltenham and Gloucester College of HE
University of Wales, Bangor - University College of North Wales
University of Wales, Swansea - University College of Swansea
Cardiff University - University of Wales, Cardiff
The secondary school tables
Type of school
ctc = city technology college
cy = county school
fd = foundation school
fe = further education college
in = independent school
va = voluntary aided school
vc = voluntary controlled school
Specialist school type
a = arts
l = language
s = sports
t = technology
Admissions policy
c = comprehensive
m = modern
n = non-selective independent
se = selective (grammar)
Gender
b = boys
g = girls
x = mixed
% of half days missed due to unauthorised absence
Absences which are accounted for by a satisfactory explanation are said to be authorised; unauthorised absences are therefore an indicator of a school's truancy rate.
% on special needs
The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is a combined figure, taking into account those with statements of special needs and those without, who nevertheless have some learning difficulties.
% on free school meals
The percentage of pupils qualifying for free school meals. This is the best available indicator of the social backgrounds of students. Research has also revealed a strong link between the eligibility for free school meals and the former academic attainment of pupils.
GCSE performance
All exam results are for the 2000/2001 academic year.
% pupils with 5 A-C grades at GCSE/GNVQ
This shows the percentage of 15-year-old (year 11) pupils gaining five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C (or GNVQ intermediate) - generally taken to be a very good result.
EducationGuardian.co.uk score
This reveals how the school's results differ to those with similar proportions of pupils on free school meals, by comparing the percentage of 15-year-old (year 11) pupils gaining five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C (or GNVQ intermediate) with the average percentage of this for schools in one of six free school meal bands. The bands are defined as follows: below 5% of pupils; 5-9%; 9-13%; 13-21%; 21-35%; 35-50%, above 50%.
% pupils with five A to G grades at GCSE/GNVQ
This shows the percentage of pupils getting five passes (grades A* to G), a guide to how well a school caters for all its pupils, whatever their ability.
Average GCSE/GNVQ score per pupil. GCSE point scores. A* = eight points; A = seven; B = six; and so on until G = one. Below G scores nothing.
Another guide to how well a school caters for all its pupils, whatever their ability.
% five A to C grades at GCSE/GNVQ compared to 1998
This reveals how the school's results differ to those three years previously, by comparing the percentage of 15-year-old (year 11) pupils gaining five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C (or GNVQ intermediate) in 2001 and 1998.
% five A to C grades at GCSE/GNVQ three year average
The 1998/2001 average indicates the consistency of a school's results. Adjustments are made by the Department for Education and Skills to take account of the numbers of refugee children or those who speak English as an additional language.
A-level performance
Post-16 data have changed this year. Previously, scores represented the number of candidates taking two or more A-levels or an advanced vocational qualifications (AGNVQ); the two were calculated separately. But this could be unfair to further education colleges, where admissions criteria tend to be more flexible than for school sixth-forms. This year, the data show the number of candidates and the combined average point score for those entered for one or more A-levels or AGNVQ at the end of two years of study, for all colleges and schools with sixth-forms. Comparisons with previous years' achievements are therefore not possible.
Average A/AS/AGNVQ point score per student.
Average A/AS/AGNVQ point score per entry.
A-level point scores
A = 10 points; B = eight, and so on until E = two. Below E scores nothing.
Advanced GNVQ point scores
(double course) Distinction = 18 points; merit = 12; pass = six.
Blank spaces, dashes or N/A indicate either that no data have been received from a particular school for that column, or that the column is not applicable - colleges, for example, will not post GCSE data. For some schools, where data are incomplete (a new school, for example), it has not been possible to compile a 1998/2001 average point score. In the interests of fairness, we have not included special schools in these tables.
