A Year in Review: MVA's 2024/25 Achievements in Numbers

With the conclusion of one academic year and the launch of another, we at MVA have been reflecting on the incredible last 12 months and gathering the data to see exactly what we've achieved.

We knew already that this past year has been MVA's best so far, but in crunching the numbers the full truth has exceeded even the team's expectations across the board in academic results, student wellbeing, and the stellar performance of our SEND students.

From day one, MVA's mission has been to provide a school experience that gives children a happier and more successful education no matter their background or needs - this data suggests that we are doing just that.

Attendance

School attendance remains a crisis in the UK, with an estimated 1 in 5 children 'persistently absent' according to a recent report from the Children's Commissioner, with this rising to 38% for SEND students with an EHCP.

The reasons for this are numerous and often complex, and can involve anything from SEND needs and anxiety to bullying or physical health challenges. But, through our work with local authorities and other schools, MVA has proven that, for the overwhelmingly vast majority of 'absent' children, the problem isn't the child, it's the environment.

Looking at the data across more than 20,000 lessons, we've found that MVA's LA funded students (students where fees are paid by a local authority) have an average attendance rate of 95.4%, and our Dual Enrolled students (students who remain enrolled at another school but get their learning from MVA) have a rate of 96.3%.

Previous to joining MVA, all of these children had an attendance rate anywhere between 85% (below the threshold for 'persistently absent') and 0%, showing not just a marked improvement in attendance for some students who previously struggled, but a complete turnaround for students who had been entirely missing out on their education.

It's data like this that drives MVA's happiness-first approach.

Grades are important, but you won't achieve your best if you aren't first comfortable engaging with your learning environment.

Academic Results

MVA's academic results have also been seriously impressive, with our iGCSE students significantly outperforming national GCSE results in core subjects, including a 41% 9-7 grade in English Language, more than double the national 16%.

MVA's A-Level students also performed fantastically, with 85% of graduates receiving offers from their first choice universities.

Considering that a significant proportion of MVA students come to us having faced enormous obstacles in engaging with education before finding us, these results are phenomenal, and point to a complete turnaround in confidence for many.

School is meant to prepare you for life, and this past year has seen MVA students across the board head into their young adulthood with strong qualifications and momentum into their futures.

SEND

Recent government data shows a significant attainment gap between SEN and non-SEN students, with a 14.6 point gap for students getting at least a 5 in their English and Maths.

At MVA, the gap is 0.2 points.

We are, obviously, hugely proud of these results and the hard work behind them. We are also deeply proud of what these results represent.

With the right support, in a compassionate and comfortable environment, SEND needs are no obstacle to academic success.

The gap seen nationally is a result of a lack of resources, training, and understanding in a traditional schooling system that is already stretched thin trying to cater to the 'average' child.

What MVA has proved is that the gap can be closed.

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