Teachers like Alps. Our A level reports covered over 62% of all A levels taken last year.

Why are over 1,200 schools and colleges nationally using Alps, and what sets us apart from other analysis?

• Alps is timely

Alps reports are available when you need them most.  In 2011, 850 schools and colleges had their reports before the 1st September; that number had risen to just under 1000 by the end of September.

• Alps is simple

Value added models tend to be overcomplicated but large advances in complexity yield only small gains in accuracy.

• Alps is fit for purpose

Alps was developed in an educational context by educational professionals for use by educational professionals.

• Alps is accessible

It is vital that value added outputs are understood by all.  If value added is to make a difference to students' lives it needs to be accessible and understandable. Alps uses an approach that can be understood by teachers, managers and governors in minutes.

• Alps is supported by training

Alps delivers training to help teaching, management and pastoral teams understand how Alps works and how Alps can be used to the benefit of students.  In many areas this training is supported by the Local Authority and is provided free to schools and colleges.

• Alps is supported by feedback

Alps has the capacity to provide feedback to management teams.  Alps feedback sessions are delivered by experts who help you to understand value added properly and assess the quality of student achievements accurately.

• Alps is designed for internal reflection

Alps was developed to help schools and colleges understand themselves.  This remains at the heart of the Alps approach.  Using Alps a school or college can quickly identify areas where results are good and where results need improvement.

• Alps reports on the curriculum and the provider

Many value added models only really report on how well students are performing in individual subjects.  Whilst this is a highly valuable exercise in itself, Alps goes beyond this and examines how students are performing across their A level, AS level and BTEC National programmes. Using Alps schools and colleges develop a sense of how their students compare to those elsewhere.

• Alps is historical

Because Alps holds its benchmarks constant, schools and colleges can develop a clear sense of how performance is changing over time.

• Alps is aspirational

Alps is founded on the principle that all schools and colleges should aspire to match the achievements at the top quarter of schools and colleges.  Through its use of benchmarks, Alps gives a clear sense of the levels being achieved by the very best schools and colleges nationally.

• Alps is forward looking

Alps goes beyond helping you understand the results of students who have finished their studies.  Through a tried and tested target setting methodology, it provides a strategy for making a difference to current students. It helps teachers and students to understand how they should be performing. It helps identify students at risk of not reaching their potential and provides a platform for celebrating when students are performing above typical levels.