Measuring the impact of Red Balloon’s provision
Each student who attends with us faces their own unique set of circumstances which has led them to attend Red Balloon. They may not have attended school, may not have left their house, and may not have spoken to people other than family members for months, or even years in some cases. They have all come to us struggling with some kind of disadvantage to accessing or achieving learning and no two of our students are the same.
Though exam results and attainment records can give us a snapshot of academic progress while with us, they cannot capture our students’ non-academic achievements, nor their progress towards their own personal goals. Our aim is not to churn out high exam results, but to ensure our students grow as individuals and develop the personal skills, wellbeing knowledge and academic understanding to be able to re-join their peers and successfully pursue their future life goals.
We strive to provide provision that supports our students in the best possible way and as such we measure our impact by various means, including what our students think, and what their parents think of the support we provide.
Exam results
In the 2020-2021 academic year 86 students took exams across our Centres. Our students took a range of GCSE and other qualifications across a variety of subjects. We couldn’t be prouder of our students for sitting exams despite the personal challenges they have faced, and we were overjoyed at the results they achieved.
GCSE exams
Our students each sit a selection of subjects based on their needs and aspirations; highlights of this year’s results are shared below. We were delighted to see their achievements this year with so many achieving grades 4-9 (the old C-A* grades).
- Of those who took Maths, 87% achieved grades 4-9
- Of those who took English Lang, 86% achieved grades 4-9
- Of those who took Science in any form, 88% achieved grades 4-9
- Of those who took a Modern Foreign Language, 100% achieved grades 4-9
- Of those who took a Humanities subject, 100% achieved grades 4-9
Non-GCSE exams and qualifications
Our students also took a range of non-GCSE exams and qualifications, including BTECs, Functional Skills, AQA units, and NCFE certificates at various levels. Qualifications ranged in subject from the core English, Maths, and Science, to more varied subjects such as Arts, Music or Animal Care.
Across all these qualifications our students achieved an incredible 91% pass rate.