Schools and Academies will be aware that target setting is no longer a statutory requirement for schools and Local Authorities. However the Schools White Paper states that the DfE "support the idea that good schools set themselves targets, identify the strengths and weaknesses that might either help or hinder them to achieve those targets, and come up with a plan for succeeding".

Schools may also wish to note that Ofsted's latest inspection handbook states that when arriving at judgements about progress, inspectors will usually consider how well all pupils are set aspirational progress targets and that they are on track to meet or exceed these, and where possible, expected standards by the end of each key stage assessment, including test results, targets, performance descriptors or expected standards are used to ensure that all pupils make the progress their teachers expect and that more able pupils do work that deepens their knowledge and understanding.

With the changes to accountability measures and reporting requirements schools may be using a number of different methods and performance descriptors to set targets for their pupils.  Therefore the LA will not be collecting targets from schools this year.

We will also not be providing the excel based target setting packs produced in previous years.  This is due to the changes made by FFT, who provided the estimates used in the packs.  These estimates are now available through the new FFT Aspire system, which can be used to record targets in each subject for each pupil based on national curriculum levels or GCSE grades.  FFT Aspire also provides further reports aggregating the estimates and the targets set by schools.  Please note that schools do not have to use FFT Aspire, and are free to use other packages or systems if they wish.

• FFT Aspire