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Some parents ask us how we can be sure that the considerable cost of an independent education is actually worth it. This is a difficult question to answer, as many of the benefits of an education at Merchiston are intangible.
It is also difficult to value the extra opportunities and experiences a boy receives at Merchiston. For example, one parent commented to us how a Summer exchange trip to a school in Australia (arranged by Merchiston) helped their son immeasurably in terms of confidence and ambition. How can one put a value on this?
However, at Merchiston we are able tangibly to demonstrate the 'value add' of our teaching - how our teaching improves exam grades for boys - over and above the results they would normally expect to achieve. We are in a position to demonstrate, to both prospective and current parents, the 'Merchiston difference'.
We do this by the use of two statistically-based predictive 'systems' which are able to forecast how our boys will perform. The systems are provided and managed for us by Durham University, which has pioneered this approach since 1983. We have been using these systems at Merchiston for over ten years - and through experience we know how accurate they are.
The first system we use is called the Middle Years Information System (MidYIS) which is based on data collected from over 1,500 secondary schools across the UK. This is used for the GCSE exams.
By using the MidYIS system for GCSEs we are able to:
Predict how a boy is likely to perform in his GCSE exams - 24 months prior.
How do we do this? All Merchiston boys take a test to measure potential at 13 years old - similar to an IQ test. Based on a UK-wide statistical database of other pupils taking the same test and their actual GCSE results - we can then accurately predict each Merchiston boy's likely GCSE results at 16 years old. This prediction forms a baseline which we try to improve upon. In other words we want all our boys to do better than the expected 'norm'.
Then, when your son gets his actual GCSE results, MidYIS then allows us to:
Measure, based on his actual GCSE results, whether your son (and thereby the School) has outperformed expected results. In other words, has Merchiston been able to 'add value' at GCSE for both you and your son?
How do we do this? When we get your son's GCSE results, the system can immediately look back at his predicted results. Has he done as expected? Or has he out-performed his prediction? The latter is what we expect and hope for, as it demonstrates the excellence of our teaching and the commitment of the boys.
As you can see from the table below - on average - across all the subjects taught, Merchiston boys outperformed their predicted results in 15 out of 16 subjects.
On average the boys did one whole grade better than predicted. For example in History, a C became a B, a B became an A and an A became an A*. The best result was in English, where the boys achieved 1.2 grades higher than predicted by Durham.
At GCSE Merchiston adds significant value - the teaching helps boys excel far above their expected levels - on average one whole grade better.
The second system provided by Durham University, the Advanced Level Information System (ALIS), has grown from only 12 schools in the North East of England in 1983 to cover over a third of all A level entries in the UK and international schools sitting UK exams.
By using the ALIS system for A levels we are able to:
Predict how a boy is likely to perform at A level based on a) his actual GCSE results and b) the results of another IQ-style test called the TDA test. The boys take the test at 16 and we then get two sets of predictions for your son 24 months prior to his final A-level results. It is obviously crucial in considering his university options and planning his A level choices.
How do we do this? Durham University has the databank of GCSE results from across the UK, combined with a matching database of A level results. Based on the two sets of data, ALIS is able to look forward to each Merchiston boy's likely A level results - two years in advance. The TDA test provides a separate prediction, again based on data from across the UK. These predictions form the baseline which we will aim to exceed. In other words, we want all our boys to do better than their predicted 'norm' - we aim to 'add value'.
Then, when the A Level results are known, the ALIS system also allows the School to:
Measure, based on actual A level results, whether your son (and thereby the School) has outperformed his expected results. In other words, has Merchiston been able to 'add value' at A level?
How do we do this? When we get your son's A level results, the system can immediately back-track to the predicted results; both based on GCSEs and the TDA test. Has he done as expected at A level? Or has he out-performed his prediction? This is what we expect (and hope for) as it demonstrates the excellence of our teaching and the commitment of the boys.
We can see from the most recent results at A level in 2010 that Merchiston's boys have outperformed their predicted results in almost all subjects.
On average the boys moved up two grades for every three subjects. A predicted BBB at A level turns into an actual AAB, a predicted CCC into an actual BBC, and so on.
Even though by this stage it is harder to improve on the predicted results (because the predictions get more and more accurate as the boys get older) the School is still able to help the boys outperform predictions - which is testament to the School's teaching and the boys' efforts.
The tools allow us to:
If you would like more information on the MidYIS and ALIS systems we use, and how they can help plan your son's education, please contact the Deputy Head (Academic).
See Academic Results for the School's record over the last five years at GCSE and A level.
