from additional educational support programmes, that will take into account their preferred learning style and that will reference their self esteem, attendance pattern and attitude to the prevailing learning environment.. All the Zone schools Year 5 and Year 4 QCA mathematics test results are analysed. Each question is individually checked and each individual child’s overall achievement recorded. Within the specially prepared database, the data for each child is entered and analysed. The analysis includes performance in the Mental Arithmetic tests as well a consideration of the number of questions attempted in the time allocated. The zone provides parallel analysis for writing. In this case, children's writing is analysed within seven writing genres. Key characteristics are identified within each genre that are used to identify areas of need. A program of intervention is developed that teaches to the genre key characteristics while also referencing the development of text level skills. The Analysis tool has been developed as a web-based resource and ATHENA is currently sseking funding to enable schools nationally to access this valuable diagnostic and planning tool.

THE DATA COLLATION STRATEGY

A central focus for increasing the effectiveness of the zone’s work is the use of detailed data relating to children’s performance. The Athena Excellence in Cities education action zone is unique in its approach in this area. The zone is not content merely to collect data at a school level, data that describes broad trends, and makes sweeping generalisations about pupil progress as a result. Instead, the zone requires a level of detail that seeks to use data to describe each individual child’s learning in discrete areas of competence, particularly in relation to mathematics and writing. The Zone’s data analysis does not stop there. It also seeks to cross-correlate data relating to individual pupil performance, with other relevant data. In particular, each child’s progress is assessed with reference to their self esteem, their preferred learning style, their reading ability, test-phobia, as well as other extraneous influences such as attendance, ethnicity, gender and eligibility for Free School Meals. This data is collected and analysed using a range of specially prepared data interrogation tools (originally developed in Microsoft Access, and now a web-based package developed in SQL), and individual pupil profiles built up. These may include current progress and future targets. The information provided enables the zone and school staff to select groups of individual children who will benefit