Methodology
The DfE publishes the raw measures for every school. We don't change those numbers. What we do is turn them into something you can read at a glance and compare quickly, and this page sets out exactly how, so you can decide whether you trust the working.
Why we publish a single score
The official performance tables give you a dozen separate figures per school. That is the honest, complete record, but it is hard to scan: comparing twenty local schools means holding a dozen columns in your head twenty times over. We fold the main measures into one 0–100 score for each phase, so a list of schools tells you at a glance where each one roughly sits. The score is a starting point for narrowing a shortlist, not a verdict, and every page shows the underlying figures it was built from so you can see what sits behind it. The exact weightings are below, and we have deliberately kept them simple enough to explain in a sentence each.
Primary composite score
The primary score (0–100) weights two KS2 measures: 65% on the percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths combined (PTRWM_EXP), and 35% on the percentage achieving the higher standard in those subjects (PTRWM_HIGH, scaled so 30% ≈ a top score).
Secondary composite score
The secondary score (0–100) is built from Attainment 8 (scaled with 80 as a notional ceiling) and adjusted by Progress 8, where each point of P8 contributes ±20 (capped at ±30). Schools without P8 data (typically grammar schools, which DfE excludes from progress measures) are scored on Attainment 8 alone.
How we rank and filter
Rankings are worked out from the composite score within three groupings: nationally, within the region, and within the local authority. Two choices on the ranking tables are ours rather than the DfE's, and both exist to stop a list giving a misleading impression. The first hides schools where fewer than 11 children sat the tests, which is the DfE's own reliability threshold; with a cohort that small, one child can move a percentage by ten points, so a headline figure says little about the school. The second lets you remove selective grammar schools, which sit at the top of secondary tables by design because they admit on a test, so leaving them in flatters the comparison for an ordinary comprehensive. When schools are hidden, the remaining ranks renumber and share equal positions where scores tie (=1, =1, =3), rather than leaving gaps that imply a school is missing.
Caveats
League-table positions are useful for orientation but should never be the sole basis for choosing a school. Composite scores can mask significant variation in cohort intake, value-added across subjects, pastoral provision, and many other factors that matter to families. We recommend visiting any school in person and reading its most recent Ofsted report.
Frequently asked questions
Where does your data come from?
All performance data (KS2 SATs, KS4 GCSE, Attainment 8, Progress 8) is published by the Department for Education in their annual Performance Tables. School details — phase, type, address, demographics — come from the Get Information about Schools (GIAS) register. Ofsted judgements come from Ofsted's monthly Management Information dataset. All three sources are published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
How often is the data refreshed?
DfE performance data is refreshed annually (DfE typically publishes new tables in October–December). Ofsted ratings are refreshed monthly from Ofsted's MI feed. The "last updated" date in the page footer shows when this site last pulled fresh data.
Why don't some schools have Ofsted ratings?
About one in three schools in our dataset doesn't show a published Ofsted judgement. The most common reason is that their most recent graded inspection was before September 2019 — Ofsted's published management-information feed only includes inspections under the current Education Inspection Framework (Sep 2019 onwards) and the newer 2024 framework. Older inspection reports still exist on Ofsted's website, and we link to them directly from each school's "Official sources" section, but their grades aren't on this page. Less common reasons: the school is newly opened and hasn't yet had its first inspection; the most recent visit was an interim/monitoring one that didn't issue formal grades; or the school's URN has changed and Ofsted's records haven't been re-linked.
Why do some Ofsted cards say "Strong standard" or "Expected standard" rather than "Outstanding" or "Good"?
Ofsted launched a new Education Inspection Framework in September 2024. Schools inspected under the new framework get per-category grades on a five-point scale (Exceptional, Strong standard, Expected standard, Needs attention, Urgent improvement) rather than the previous four-point Outstanding / Good / Requires improvement / Inadequate scale. The framework name is shown in the section header. Around 4% of schools have been re-inspected under the new framework so far — the rest still carry their most recent legacy-framework judgement.
Why is Progress 8 / Reading progress / Maths progress missing for some schools?
DfE chose not to publish progress measures for 2024–25 — see the data availability page for the full explanation. We will reinstate these measures as soon as DfE resumes publishing them.
Can I compare schools side by side?
Yes — use the Compare tool to pick any two or three state-funded schools and see their composite scores, KS2/KS4 results, demographics and Ofsted judgements side by side.
Are independent (private) schools included?
No. We cover every state-funded primary and secondary school in England — community schools, academies, free schools, voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools, foundation schools, and grammar schools. We do not currently cover independent (private) schools, sixth-form colleges, special schools or alternative provision.
I spotted an error — how do I report it?
Please contact us with the school's URN and a description of what looks wrong. We'll either fix it or point you at the upstream source.