PRIMARY schools are failing to supply secondaries with enough information about their pupils - and the latter are using data badly, says the chief inspector.

Mike Tomlinson says the poor quality and quantity of information that follow pupils up to secondary schools threatens standards.

He says more detailed test scores and marked exam scripts could be made available to secondary schools but they would need to use them constructively, adding: “Secondary teachers have got to take a more positive view of that data and its potential use.”

His report on the schools piloting the key stage 3 strategy says: “The availability and use of data in the autumn term were judged unsatisfactory in over half the schools. The effects were felt throughout the year, but better arrangements for 20012 were in prospect in some schools.”

John Dunford, general secretary of the Secondary Heads Association, said:

“The flow of information from primary to secondary schools could be better, but part of the problem is the difficulty of merging information systems.”

And he added: “Many children like to make a fresh start in secondary school. This creates a difficult balancing act for secondaries wanting to use the information without labelling the children.”

Problems in recruiting and retaining maths teachers are hindering the strategy. The report says such difficulties hampered progress in maths in half the schools visited.

Mr Tomlinson says: “The problem it points to is the difficulty for senior staff to cascade training to staff who are not necessarily going to be in the school for that long.”

Pupils in most of the pilot schools made progress but the strategy was least helpful to low attainers. Use of materials to help pupils at level 3 catch up was unsatisfactory in a third of schools for maths, and in two-fifths of schools for English.

The report says: “There were positive effects on pupils’ attainment but these were not comprehensive or consistent, especially in relation to those pupils achieving below the expected level when they join secondary school.

“The results of the progress tests taken by these pupils at the end of Year 7 were disappointing.”

But overall, it says, the strategy was beginning to enhance teaching in the pilot schools, with substantial improvements in nearly a third and sound improvements in more than half.

Jean Gemmell, general secretary of the Professional Association of Teachers, said implementation seemed to be going smoothly for teachers. She said: “We have not had a single phone call concerning anxiety with this project.”

www.ofsted.gov.ukpublicyearspub02.htm