Guidance

Secondary accountability measures: 2026 guidance for maintained secondary schools, academies and free schools

Updated 20 October 2026

Applies to England

Summary 

This is a guide for maintained secondary schools, academies and free schools. It explains how key stage 4 (KS4) performance measures have been calculated based on pupils at the end of KS4^{[footnote 1]} in the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

The KS4 headline measures for 2025 to 2026 are:

• Attainment 8 – attainment across 8 qualifications
• attainment in English and maths – percentage of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths
• pupil destinations – percentage of students staying in education or going into employment after KS4

A range of additional performance measures and contextual information is also published alongside the headline measures.

We will publish provisional KS4 school and college level performance data for the 2025 to 2026 academic year in October 2026 and update this with revised data in February 2027.

Who this publication is for

This guidance is for:

• senior leaders working in secondary schools and trusts, including maintained schools, academies, alternative provision (AP), free schools and special schools
• independent schools or colleges with 14 to 16 provision seeking information on secondary accountability measures
• governors and trustees
• local authorities

Main points

The guidance includes information about KS4 performance measures for 2025 to 2026 and the use of 2025 to 2026 KS4 school and college level performance data. It also includes information about how we will calculate KS4 multi-academy trust (MAT) measures for the 2025 to 2026 academic year.  

How the 2025 to 2026 KS4 performance data will be used

Users of education school performance data need to consider this data alongside a range of other information about a school and its individual circumstances – for example, by speaking to a school direct. Conclusions should not be drawn on a single piece of data alone.

Department for Education (DfE) officials may use 2025 to 2026 KS4 performance data when setting criteria to allocate additional funding.

As set out in the Managing teachers’ and leaders’ pay guidance, school and trust leaders should not make pay progression for teachers dependent on the assessment data for a single group of pupils.

Performance management targets relating to pupil performance should not be used in isolation, and other factors should also be taken into account.

From the 2024 to 2025 academic year, the requirement for objectives and the appraisal process to lead to performance-related pay outcomes for teachers and leaders were removed. The statutory requirement to make a pay decision following the completion of the appraisal process remains.

Ofsted

As set out in Ofsted’s school inspection toolkit, inspectors will consider what nationally published school performance data (where it is available) indicates about pupils’ achievement in the school over time and use this as a starting point for discussions with leaders about achievement.

Inspectors will be aware of the data’s gaps or limitations (for example, in relation to small cohorts) and will take into account that published outcomes do not reflect the achievement of pupils in every year group, or of some groups, such as some pupils with special educational needs and disability (SEND).

Inspectors will consider data alongside evidence gathered on site to provide a fuller picture of achievement over time, particularly for groups of pupils or phases for which published data is not available.

DfE regional directors

Regional directors will have access to 2025 to 2026 assessment and test data to support their work, which will continue to be informed by a range of factors.

KS4 performance measures

The following sections set out how we have calculated the headline KS4 performance measures for 2025 to 2026.

For 2025 to 2026, the KS4 headline measures are:

• Attainment 8 – attainment across 8 qualifications
• attainment in English and maths – the percentage of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths
• pupil destinations – the percentage of students staying in education or going into employment after KS4

Attainment 8

Attainment 8 measures pupils’ attainment across 8 qualifications, including: 

• maths (double-weighted) and English (double-weighted, if both English language and English literature are sat)
• 3 qualifications in sciences, history or geography, or languages – see the Calculating Attainment 8 section for more information
• 3 further qualifications that can be any GCSE qualification or technical award from the DfE-approved list

Attainment 8 and Progress 8 calculations are described in more detail in annex A, with worked examples in annex B.

Percentage of pupils staying in education or going into employment after KS4 (pupil destinations)

The headline pupil destination measure shows the percentage of pupils continuing to a sustained education, employment or training destination in the year after completing KS4 study (after year 11). The data published is for pupils who finished year 11 in 2024. Pupils are counted in a sustained destination if they have a recorded activity throughout the first 2 terms of the 2024 to 2025 academic year (or any consecutive 6 months in the year for apprenticeships).

Additional breakdowns show whether pupils were in education, apprenticeships or employment, did not stay in education or employment for at least 2 terms, or activity was not captured in the data. Education destinations including further education (FE) colleges and other FE providers, sixth-form colleges, school sixth forms and other education destinations are also shown. There is further information on the KS4 destination measures in annex D.

Attainment in English and maths measures

The headline measure shows the proportion of pupils achieving a grade 5 and above in GCSE English and maths. We also publish additional measures showing the proportion achieving a grade 4 and above and the proportion achieving a grade 7 and above in GCSE English and maths.

A pupil must achieve the relevant threshold grade in either English literature or English language. There is no requirement to sit both.

AS qualifications may count as follows:

• An AS level at grade A to C in English or maths also counts towards achieving the grade 7 and above measure
• An AS level at grade A to D in English or maths also counts towards achieving the grade 5 and above measure
• An AS level at grade A to E in English or maths counts towards achieving the grade 4 and above measure.^{[footnote 2]}

Progress 8

It is not possible to calculate Progress 8 for the 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026 academic years, as there is no key stage 2 (KS2) prior attainment data available to use to calculate Progress 8. This is due to the relevant cohort’s primary tests and assessments being cancelled in the 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 academic years due to COVID-19 disruption.

In April 2024, the previous government announced that there would be no replacement for Progress 8 for 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026. DfE will continue to publish the remaining headline attainment, entry and destination measures.

There is information about the historic calculation of Progress 8 in annex A.

When DfE publishes 2025 to 2026 KS4 performance measures in October 2026, messaging will be included to:

• explain why it is not possible to calculate Progress 8 for 2025 to 2026
• caution users about the limitations of using attainment-only data to interpret school performance

We will also continue to show the most recent available Progress 8 scores (2023 to 2024 and 2022 to 2023) alongside the remaining headline measures.

It will be possible to produce Progress 8 in 2026 to 2027, as KS2 prior attainment will be available for this cohort.

As part of the key stage 4 performance measures and targeted regional improvement for standards and excellence (RISE) extension consultation, we consulted on possible changes to Progress 8. We will confirm the policy position in due course.

EBacc measures

As part of the government’s response to the Curriculum and Assessment Review, we announced that EBacc performance measures will be removed with effect from the 2025 to 2026 academic year.

EBacc headline measures:

• EBacc entry – percentage of pupils entering the English Baccalaureate (EBacc)
• EBacc APS – English Baccalaureate Average Point Score (APS)

EBacc additional measures:

• EBacc attainment at grade 5 and above
• EBacc attainment at grade 4 and above
• EBacc attainment at grade 5 and grade 4 and above by subject groups
• EBacc attainment at grade 1 or above by subject groups
• EBacc entries by subject group
• EBacc value added by subject group

Qualifications in former EBacc subjects, namely sciences, history or geography, and languages, continue to count towards Attainment 8 and Progress 8. We have replaced references to EBacc in Attainment 8 and Progress 8 by specifying the relevant subjects. There are no changes to the way former EBacc subjects are treated in Attainment 8 and Progress 8. There is more information is in the Calculating Attainment 8 section.

Publication of KS4 secondary accountability measures

Headline secondary accountability measures are published as accredited official statistics at national, local authority and at school level on Explore Education Statistics (EES). Compare School and College Performance (CSCP) has been decommissioned. School-level performance data will also be published on a replacement service, which is due to be launched in autumn 2026.

From 2022 to 2023, institution-level data for all schools, including independent schools and FE colleges, has been included in published provisional data.^{[footnote 3]}

The statistical publication on EES includes pupil characteristic breakdowns including sex and disadvantaged status.

Where a mainstream school has a SEN unit or resourced provision, all pupils in the school at the end of KS4 are included in the school’s performance measures.

When available, Progress 8 and its constituent buckets, and pupil destinations, are not published for independent schools and independent special schools.^{[footnote 4]} Pupil destinations are also only published for schools that had pupils completing the relevant key stage 2 years previously.  

As usual, suppression is applied at school level, so we do not disclose the results of small numbers of pupils. Figures are suppressed if the school has 5 or fewer pupils included in the cohort. This applies to sub-groups of pupils as well as the whole cohort – for example, if there were 5 boys and 3 girls in a school, we would not publish attainment for boys or girls separately, but would publish attainment for all pupils (as this is based on 8 pupils).

The same rules are applied across pupils included in each headline measure. We apply extra suppression, where appropriate, to destination measures because it contains employment data and to protect confidentiality. When available, the Progress 8 score is suppressed if fewer than 50% of pupils at the end of KS4 are included in the measure (for example, because they do not have KS2 prior attainment recorded).

Calculating Attainment 8

Qualifications included in the measures

Attainment 8 and, when available, Progress 8, are based on a calculation of pupils’ performance across 8 qualifications. These qualifications are:

• a double-weighted maths bucket that will contain the point score of the pupil’s GCSE or AS level maths qualification
• an English bucket based on the higher point score of a pupil’s GCSE or AS level English language or English literature qualification – this will be double-weighted, provided a pupil has taken both qualifications
• a bucket that can include the 3 highest point scores in science subjects, computer science, history, geography and languages – for more information, see the list of qualifications that count towards this bucket^{[footnote 5]} and note that the qualifications can count in any combination.
• the open bucket, containing the 3 highest point scores in any 3 other subjects, including English language or literature (if not counted in the English slot), further GCSE qualifications (including sciences, history or geography, or languages) or any other technical awards from the DfE-approved list of performance measures: technical and vocational qualifications – for more information, see the list of qualifications included in KS4 performance measures: KS4 qualifications discount codes and point-scores.

If a pupil has not taken the maximum number of qualifications that count in each group, they will receive a point score of zero where a slot is empty.

Maths qualifications

This bucket of Attainment 8 is double-weighted. Only maths qualifications that formally counted towards the EBacc can count in the maths bucket of Attainment 8.

Where a pupil has taken more than one of these maths qualifications, qualifications that are not used in the maths bucket cannot count elsewhere in Attainment 8.^{[footnote 6]}

Approved mathematical-type qualifications that did not formally count towards the EBacc – for example, GCSE statistics – can be counted in a slot in the open bucket of Attainment 8.

For more information on the free-standing maths qualification (FSMQ), see the level 3 qualifications section.

English qualifications

If a student sits both English language and English literature, the higher grade is double-weighted in the English bucket. The lower grade can count in the open bucket of subjects.

If only one of GCSE English literature or English language is taken, then this qualification will count in the English bucket, but will not be double-weighted.

An explanation of how English counts towards other headline performance measures is provided in annex E.

Qualifications in sciences, history or geography, and languages

Only qualifications that counted towards the former EBacc entry and attainment measures can be included in the Attainment 8 bucket reserved for sciences, history or geography, and languages qualifications.

English literature and English language cannot be included in these slots. The better of these qualifications will count in the ‘English’ bucket, and the other can count in the open bucket if the grade is higher than other eligible subjects.

Maths cannot be included in the slots for sciences, history or geography, or languages.

Any combination of former EBacc subjects can be used to fill the 3 slots for sciences, history or geography, or languages. For example:

• biology, chemistry, French
• Spanish, French, German
• history, geography, Spanish

Science and computer science qualifications

All students must study science up to the age of 16. The KS4 science and computing curricula are compulsory in state-funded maintained schools, and academies are required to provide a broad and balanced curriculum including English, maths and science up to the age of 16.

There is the combined science GCSE (double award), the single science GCSEs (biology, chemistry and physics) and computer science GCSE.

Separate GCSEs in biology, chemistry, physics and computer science each take up one slot, and can count in Progress 8 in any combination. The combined science GCSE can take 2 slots in either the sciences, history or geography, or languages slots or in the open slots of Attainment 8, where this represents the highest relevant grades achieved. One grade from this qualification can fill one slot if higher grades are achieved in other qualifications.

The points awarded to combined science are averaged. This means that a combined science grade of a grade 6 and a grade 5 would be averaged to 2 x 5.5 points to fill either one or 2 slots as appropriate (a maximum of 11 points across 2 slots).

Any other science subject may count in the open bucket of Progress 8.

Details of the combined science, single science and computer science qualification pathways and how they may count in the headline measures is in the discounting and early entry guidance. An example of the science pathways is in annex C.

Qualifications in the open bucket

Up to 3 GCSE qualifications (including former EBacc subjects not used in the sciences, history or geography, or languages slots) or technical awards (which are included in the approved list for the year in which the student will reach the end of KS4) can count towards the 3 slots in the open bucket in the Attainment 8 measure.

For example, if a student takes a technical award early in year 10 in 2024 to 2025, the technical award must be on the approved list for 2025 to 2026 to count in performance measures, as this is when the student will reach the end of KS4.

Technical awards are approved level 1 and 2 qualifications that equip 14 to 16-year-olds with applied knowledge and practical skills not usually acquired through general education. More information on technical awards is available in the technical award guide.

DfE introduced a revised approval process for KS4 technical qualifications for inclusion in performance measures from 2024 to 2025. Only technical qualifications that have been approved by DfE are included in the KS4 performance measures alongside academic qualifications.

Level 3 qualifications

AS levels can count in the appropriate bucket of the Attainment 8 measure for their subject. For example, maths AS levels can count in the maths slot, a French AS level in sciences, history or geography, or languages, and an art AS level in an open slot.

If a GCSE in the same subject has been taken, the AS level will always count in Attainment 8 and the GCSE will not, even if the AS has a lower point score than the GCSE.

AS levels at grade A score higher points in Attainment 8 than a grade 9 GCSE.

There is no cap on the number of AS levels that can count towards a pupil’s Attainment 8 score.

Level 3 qualifications not included in the list of former EBacc qualifications can only count in an open slot. This includes FSMQs. 

An FSMQ will only count in an open slot if a pupil has not taken an AS level or GCSE maths qualification.

An FSMQ does not discount GCSE or AS level maths, so early entry rules are not applicable across these qualifications. For example, even if a pupil sat an FSMQ in year 10 and AS level maths in year 11, the open slot would not be filled by the FSMQ, as the AS level maths would count.^{[footnote 7]}

One graded music qualification can count in the open bucket of Attainment 8 and can count alongside GCSE music.

Point scores

The point scores for different types of qualifications for performance measures for the 2025 to 2026 academic year are in annex F.

Impact of the number of qualifications taken on a pupil’s Attainment 8 score 

The number of qualifications each pupil should enter remains a professional judgement for schools led by what best meets the needs of an individual.

The Attainment 8 score for each pupil will be determined by assigning points to the pupils’ highest grades in each Attainment 8 bucket.

When available, the Progress 8 score for each pupil will always be determined by dividing the total points for their 8 qualifications by 10 (English and maths both double-weighted), regardless of how many qualifications the pupil sits.

It may benefit lower-attaining pupils to work towards good grades (and hence score more points) in fewer subjects, with the emphasis on doing well in English and maths, rather than to take more subjects but achieve lower grades overall.

Discounting, pathway and first entry rules

Discounting ensures that, where a pupil has taken 2 or more qualifications with a significant overlap in content, credit is given only once in performance measures for teaching a single course of study.

Rules for first entry in a particular subject apply under Attainment 8 and, when available, Progress 8, as do rules for pathways in English and science qualifications.

Only a pupil’s first entry to a qualification will count towards their school’s performance measures. There are some potential exceptions, such as where a pupil has entered an approved level 3 qualification, moved school or first entered the exam before a certain date, as explained to follow.

This means that, if a pupil takes a GCSE early – for example, when they are in year 10, the result in that GCSE qualification will count towards their school’s performance measures when the pupil reaches the end of KS4. Further information is available in the discounting and early entry guidance.

Where a pupil was awarded a qualification in winter 2023 (or earlier, for 2026 KS4 performance measures), the first entry rule does not apply. In most cases, this will apply to pupils in years 8 and below. In these cases, performance measures count the best grade achieved, either from before the 3-year cut-off point or from the first entry after the cut-off point.^{[footnote 8]}

The principles of discounting do not change for COVID-19-impacted qualifications taken in 2020 or 2021, but the results achieved from these qualifications do not count in performance measures. For example, if a pupil entered GCSE art in autumn 2021, then re-enters in 2026, this is from before the 3-year cut-off point. Therefore, if the 2021 entry has the best grade, this could discount the 2026 entry and neither would count in performance measures.

KS4 multi-academy trust measures

We intend to produce and publish KS4 MAT measures in February 2027 for the 2025 to 2026 academic year based on revised data. We will produce the following KS4 measures at MAT level:

• Attainment 8
• percentage of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE

As MAT-level measures are an aggregate of school-level measures, we will use the usual methodology to calculate MAT measures, as far as possible. Where appropriate, the adapted methodology for calculating KS4 performance measures set out in annex C will also apply.

Eligibility for inclusion in the MAT measures  

We include data at MAT level for MATs that are sufficiently well established to have had time to have an impact on the performance of schools within the MAT. This means that the aggregate data is more informative than the individual institution’s data.

As of 12 September 2025, we will produce measures for MATs that have at least 3 schools with results at KS4, and where those schools have been with the MAT for at least 3 academic years (defined as having joined that MAT before 12 September 2023). ^{[footnote 9]}

This means that we do not produce measures for all MATs. It also means that, where we do produce measures for a MAT, the measures may be based on the results from only some of their schools, if they also have schools that have been with the MAT for less than 3 years.

As the MAT sector continues to mature, each year, the number of MATs that have at least 3 academies that have been part of the MAT for at least 3 years increases. This means that, each year, we expect to produce measures for more MATs than we did for the previous academic years, and some MATs will have MAT measures produced for the first time.

Previously, we have calculated and reported at sponsor level, for the very small number of MATs this includes. From 2021 to 2022, we no longer report at this level and report at trust level only.

The measures cover state-funded mainstream schools within MATs only. Special schools, pupil referral units, AP academies and AP free schools are not included.

Calculating KS4 measures at MAT level

For each of the measures we publish at MAT level, the score or percentage for each MAT is based on the weighted average of its individual schools’ respective progress or attainment scores. This is to ensure that a school’s contribution to the overall MAT level score is proportional to its size when calculating the average.

For Attainment 8, and attainment in English and maths, the score is weighted for:

• the number of pupils at the end of the key stage
• the length of time the school has been with that MAT (those that have been with the MAT for 3 years are given a weight of 3, those with the MAT for 4 years are given a weight of 4 and those with the MAT for 5 or more years are given a weight of 5 – as the usual combined duration of KS3 and KS4 is 5 years)

Disadvantaged pupils and MAT measures

We calculate breakdowns of all KS4 MAT level measures for disadvantaged pupils. Evidence shows that the overall performance of disadvantaged pupils is lower than that of other pupils. This data indicates how well a MAT improves the performance of disadvantaged pupils.

Disadvantaged pupils are those who were eligible for free school meals at any time during the last 6 years and looked-after children (children who were in the care of the local authority for a day or more or who have been adopted from care).

Worked examples of KS4 MAT measures are included in annex G.

Information available to secondary schools about their year 7 pupils  

Secondary schools receive information through common transfer files on the KS2 teacher assessment and test score (the scaled score) awarded to each pupil.

Question-level analysis data is available to secondary schools through View your education performance data (VYED). This helps secondary schools identify areas of focus for incoming year 7 pupils in each test subject.

Get information about pupil (GIAP) provides access to pupil-level census and attainment data, as well as providing pupil-level pupil premium allocation details. The service can be accessed through DfE Sign-in.

Secondary schools should continue to view KS2 test results as just one piece of data and supplement this data with their own ongoing assessments of pupil capability.

As primary tests and assessments were cancelled in the 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 academic years due to COVID-19 disruption, this information is not available for these cohorts.

Annex A: Progress 8 methodology

It is not possible to calculate Progress 8 for the 2024 to 2025 and 2025 to 2026 academic years. This is because there is no relevant KS2 prior attainment data available to calculate Progress 8 for these cohorts, as primary tests and assessments were cancelled in the 2019 to 2020 and 2020 to 2021 academic years due to COVID-19 disruption.

This annex explains how DfE calculated Progress 8 for 2022 to 2023.

Progress 8

Progress 8 aims to capture the progress that pupils make from the end of primary school to the end of KS4. It is a type of value-added measure, which means that pupils’ results are compared to other pupils nationally with similar prior attainment. Every increase in grade a pupil achieves in their Attainment 8 subjects counts towards a school’s Progress 8 score.

Progress 8 is calculated for individual pupils solely to calculate average Progress 8 scores, including school Progress 8 scores. Schools should not share individual pupil progress scores with pupils or parents.

A Progress 8 score is calculated for each pupil by comparing their Attainment 8 score with the average Attainment 8 scores of all pupils nationally who had a similar starting point using assessment results from the end of primary school. In 2016, changes were introduced to KS2 outcomes in English reading and maths. They are now reported as scaled scores instead of national curriculum levels. More information is available in the measurement of prior attainment section.

The greater the Progress 8 score, the greater the progress made by the pupil compared to the average for pupils with similar prior attainment. 

A school’s Progress 8 score is calculated as the average of its pupils’ Progress 8 scores. It gives an indication of whether, as a group, pupils in the school made above or below average progress compared to similar pupils in other schools.

If a school’s Progress 8 score is:

• zero, it means that, on average, pupils did as well at KS4 as other pupils across England who got similar results at the end of KS2
• above zero, it means that, on average, pupils made more progress than pupils across England who got similar results at the end of KS2
• below zero, it means that, on average, pupils made less progress than pupils across England who got similar results at the end of KS2

A negative progress score does not mean pupils made no progress, or the school has failed. Rather, it means pupils in the school made less progress than other pupils across England with similar results at the end of KS2.

Worked examples on how Attainment 8 and Progress 8 measures are calculated are shown to follow.

Pupils with extremely negative progress scores

We limit how negative^{[footnote 10]} a pupil’s progress score can be when calculating the school average. These pupils still have large negative scores (to reflect that the pupils have made much less progress than other pupils in the same prior attainment group as them), but the disproportionate effect they have on their school’s score has been reduced. 

We do this by setting a minimum progress score that can be assigned to pupils within the prior attainment groups where extremely negative scores exist. Prior attainment groups from 1 to 16 (inclusive) will not have a minimum progress score threshold set, as the average Attainment 8 scores at KS4 for these groups are not high enough to allow for extremely negative progress scores.

Published Progress 8 scores are calculated using the methodology outlined in this guidance. We also publish figures in download data that do not place limits on pupil progress scores for transparency.

Interpreting Progress 8 scores

A school’s Progress 8 score is calculated as the average of its pupils’ Progress 8 scores. For all mainstream pupils nationally, the average Progress 8 score will be zero. When including pupils at special schools, the national average will be slightly less than zero as Progress 8 scores for special schools are calculated using Attainment 8 averages based on mainstream pupils. School scores should be interpreted alongside their associated confidence intervals.

The minimum grades each pupil requires to achieve a positive Progress 8 score will not be known in advance. This is because each pupil’s results are compared to other pupils with similar prior attainment within the same national cohort.

Care should be taken when using a previous year’s attainment averages to predict future Progress 8 results. This is because changes to national subject entry patterns and performance will cause these averages to change. Schools may change their curriculum offer in response to the Progress 8 measure, so any modelling based on current national results could be misleading.

Pupils reaching their estimated grades

A pupil’s estimated grade is what they are anticipated to achieve based on the national average for their prior attainment group. Progress 8 does not give credit to a school for helping a pupil reach their estimated grade. Schools get credit for each increase in grade a pupil achieves, regardless of how this grade relates to their estimated grade. For example, the Progress 8 score can improve equally if a pupil working well below their estimated grade moves up one grade, or if another pupil moves up one grade to achieve their estimated grade.

Confidence intervals

Presentation of Progress 8 scores for academic years up to and including 2023 to 2024 are presented alongside confidence intervals and a banding.

As part of the key stage 4 performance measures and targeted RISE extension consultation, we consulted on a new approach to bandings. We expect this approach to apply to the presentation of Progress 8 scores for the 2026 to 2027 academic year onwards.

Progress 8 results are calculated for a school based on a specific cohort of pupils. A school may have been just as effective but have performed differently with a different set of pupils. Similarly, some pupils may be more likely to achieve high or low grades independently of which school they attend.

To account for this natural uncertainty, 95% confidence intervals around Progress 8 scores are provided as a proxy for the range of scores within which each school’s underlying performance measure can be inaccurate.

The results of schools with a small cohort tend to have wider confidence intervals. This reflects the fact that the performance of a small number of pupils taking their KS4 exams can have a disproportionate effect on the school’s overall results.

Both the Progress 8 score and the confidence interval for a school should be considered when comparing with other schools, pupil groups or national or local authority averages.

Rounding method used in published KS4 performance measures

Progress scores (including confidence intervals) are published to 2 decimal places and use normal rounding conventions.

Digits below 5 are rounded down and those that are 5 or above are rounded up. Therefore, a score of 0.21453 will be rounded down to 0.21 and a score of 0.09540 will be rounded up to 0.10.

The bandings are calculated on rounded data, an established convention within performance tables.

We base our bandings, and whether we consider a school’s score to be above or below average (significantly different from 0), on the published value of the confidence interval at 2 decimal places.

For example, we do not treat a school with an upper confidence limit of -0.00234, which is shown as 0.00, as significantly below average.

Progress 8 scores are presented in performance tables alongside confidence intervals and a banding.

Making comparisons between years

Progress 8 is a relative, in-year measure and cannot be compared directly year on year. For example, knowing a school had a Progress 8 score of -0.2 in 2023 and a score of -0.3 in 2024 tells you how the school did compared to the national average in those years, but not whether their performance improved across years.

Using performance data to predict individual pupils’ scores and sharing pupils’ progress data

The response to the Teacher workload advisory group’s report Making data work provided guidance to schools about the proportionate use of setting predictions or targets for individual pupils to aid teaching.

It made clear that predicting pupils’ attainment can sometimes be appropriate, but that pupils or their parents need not be routinely told the levels that they ‘should’ or ‘are likely to’ achieve at the end of KS4. The group also stated that ‘flight paths’ (where pupils are told the levels they will achieve based on the performance of pupils with similar starting points in previous years) are not valid as a prediction, as they understate the variation in pupil development.

Schools are not held to account by DfE for pupil targets and predictions, and local authorities and MATs should not routinely request such information.

Similarly, schools should not share individual pupil progress scores with pupils or parents. Schools should not try to predict pupil or school level progress scores in advance of official provisional data being available in the autumn.

Measurement of prior attainment

Changes to the KS2 baseline for calculating Progress 8

In 2016, changes were introduced to KS2 national curriculum tests, with pupil outcomes expressed as KS2 scaled scores for English reading and maths instead of national curriculum levels. Further information on scaled scores is available.

Most pupils reaching the end of KS4 in 2023 to 2024 took national curriculum tests in 2019. A few may have completed KS4 in a different period of time and will have taken national curriculum tests in 2018, while those who would have taken tests in 2020 did not, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most of the first cohort who took national curriculum tests in summer 2016 reached the end of KS4 in the 2020 to 2021 academic year. We did not publish Progress 8 in 2020 to 2021, so many of these changes came into effect in the 2021 to 2022 performance measures. The way we define low, middle and high prior attainment at KS4 using KS2 scaled scores was reflected in KS4 attainment statistics and accompanying data files published in November 2021.

When reporting on prior attainment, we define low, middle and high prior attainment at KS4 using KS2 scaled scores as follows:

Table 1: Low, middle and high prior attainment definitions

Prior attainment group	Average scaled score in English reading and maths
Low prior attainers	Below 100
Middle prior attainers	Greater than or equal to 100, but less than 110
High prior attainers	Greater than or equal to 110

Using these definitions changed the percentage of pupils in each group, compared to when prior attainment was defined using national curriculum levels. This is discussed in the KS4 attainment statistics publication published in November 2021.

Pupils working below the standard of the test at KS2 are assigned nominal point scores for the purpose of including them in prior attainment measures. The process used from 2021 to define low, middle and high prior attainment is described in guidance accompanying the 2023 KS4 attainment statistics publication.

Pupils with test results in both English reading and maths

Most pupils will have been awarded a scaled score for English reading and maths. For these pupils, their prior attainment has been calculated as the average of their English reading and maths scaled scores.

Average scaled scores are calculated to one decimal place. For example, a pupil with an English reading scaled score of 110 and a maths scaled score of 105 would be allocated an average scaled score of 107.5.

KS2 scaled scores, when used for the purpose of the Progress 8 baseline, do not have special consideration applied.^{[footnote 11]}

Pupils working below the level of the test

Pupils working below the level of the test will have a KS2 teacher-assessed outcome instead of test results. To include these pupils in Progress 8, their teacher-assessed outcomes have been given nominal scaled scores. The average scaled score is calculated either by averaging their English reading and maths nominal scores, or, if a pupil has one teacher-assessed outcome and one test result, by averaging the test score with the nominal scaled score.

As in previous years, we have allocated a nominal point score for pupils without a pre-key stage teacher assessment who were entered for the test but gained too few marks to achieve a scaled score. These pupils will have been allocated the code N12. In 2024, the points assigned to code N were 79.

Pupils with a pre-key stage teacher-assessed outcome are converted into nominal scaled scores using the KS2 methodology from the year the pupil completed their KS2 studies. Most pupils reaching the end of KS4 in the 2023 to 2024 academic year will have completed their KS2 assessments in 2019. Some will have completed KS2 in 2018 or 2020. The methodology used to convert KS2 teacher-assessed outcomes to nominal scaled scores in 2017, 2018 and 2019 is described below. Primary tests and assessments were cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19 disruption.

In 2016, pupils were allocated 1 of 4 nominal scaled scores, depending on whether they were assessed as being below the interim pre-key stage standards, meeting the foundations for the expected standard, showing early development of the expected standard or showing evidence for growing development of the expected standard.

In 2019, new pre-key stage standards were used to report teacher assessment in English reading, English writing and mathematics for pupils working below the standard of national curriculum assessments engaged in subject specific study. The pre-key stage standards replaced the interim pre-key stage standards and P scales 5 to 8. The pre-key stage standards included 6 standards at KS2.

P scales 1 to 4 were still used for the statutory assessment of pupils not yet engaged in subject specific study at the end of KS2.

The nominal scaled scores allocated to pupils with KS2 teacher-assessed outcomes obtained from 2016 to 2019 are shown in table 2 and table 3.

For 2017, 2018 and 2019, we planned to allocate nominal scores between 59 and 71 to pupils with P scale teacher assessments, depending on the pupil’s P scale, for the purposes of calculating Progress 8. This was not possible for technical reasons. We will consider how we might include pupils assessed against the engagement model (the assessment that has since the 2021 to 2022 academic year replaced P scales 1 to 4) when it becomes possible to produce Progress 8 in 2026 to 2027.

Table 2: Points allocated to KS2 teacher assessment categories 2016 to 2018

Teacher assessment for pupils below the level of the test at KS2 (2016 to 2018)	Points (below the scaled score range) 2016	Points (below the scaled score range) 2017	Points (below the scaled score range) 2018
Pupils below the interim pre-key stage standard	70	71	71
Foundations for the expected standard	73	73	73
Early development of the expected standard	76	76	76
Growing development of the expected standard	79	79	79

Table 3: Points allocated to each key stage 2 teacher assessment category 2019

Teacher assessment for pupils below the level of the test at KS2 (2019)	Points (below the scaled score range) 2019
Below pre-key stage standard	62
Standard 1	64
Standard 2	67
Standard 3	70
Standard 4	73
Standard 5 (working towards the KS1 expected standard)	76
Standard 6 (working towards the KS1 expected standard)	79

Pupils missing a result

Some pupils might not have test results or teacher-assessed outcomes in both English reading and maths. Where pupils have only one, their average scaled score is equal to their one result. These pupils are then treated in the same way as pupils with results in both English reading and maths for the purposes of placing them into prior attainment groups and calculating their Progress 8 scores.

Pupils who have no KS2 assessment

Some pupils do not have KS2 results that can be used as a starting point for measuring Progress 8. This includes pupils who joined secondary school from private schools or from overseas, or whose KS2 test results were cancelled because of issues with how the tests were carried out. These pupils’ scores will not be included in the Progress 8 measure (and the pupils will not be included in the denominator when calculating the average of the progress scores for the school).

However, these pupils will be included in the attainment measures for the school, unless they have arrived from a non-English speaking country in year 10 or year 11 and the school requests for their results to be removed. We expect the school to be able to discuss with Ofsted, parents and others the progress these pupils have made through secondary school.

Table 4: Disregard codes for key stage 2 teacher assessment categories

Disregard codes	Description
A	Absent
D	Disapplied
F	Pupil will take the test in the future
HNM	Has not met the standard
L	Left
M	Missing
P	Pupil has taken the test in the past
Z	Ineligible

Prior attainment group thresholds for pupils with extremely negative progress scores

Minimum thresholds are set using revised data for mainstream provision.^{[footnote 12]} Where a minimum score is set for a prior attainment group, it is based on the variation in pupil progress scores within that prior attainment group (as measured by the standard deviation). The minimum scores are fixed at a set number of standard deviations below the mean for that prior attainment group so that approximately 1% of pupils are identified nationally^{[footnote 13]} (in most cases, this is no more than 1 or 2 pupils per school).

By design, these minimum scores will change each year. As such, predicting if a pupil’s score will be affected by this methodology change, in advance of progress scores being made available, is not possible.

Adjusting extremely negative progress scores, number of standard deviations and prior attainment group thresholds

The threshold score applied to the pupil’s progress score is dependent on the prior attainment group that the pupil is in.^{[footnote 14]} To work these thresholds out:

1. Calculate the mean and standard deviation of Progress 8 scores within each prior attainment group.

2. Ascertain the number of standard deviations each pupil’s Progress 8 score is from their prior attainment group average.

3. Order the numbers of standard deviations from low to high and select the number of standard deviations such that about 1% of pupils nationally^{[footnote 15]} are below this value. In 2024, this number is -2.802937, to 6 decimal places.

4. Multiply the standard deviations in the first step with the results from the third step to give the threshold for each prior attainment group (the minimum score for that prior attainment group).

5. If a pupil’s original score falls below the minimum calculated in step 4, their progress score will be replaced with the new minimum.

6. Average the adjusted progress score to calculate the school’s progress score.

2023 and 2024 confidence intervals

A 95% confidence interval is calculated for each school’s Progress 8 score. This gives an estimated range where we can be statistically confident that the true value of the Progress 8 score lies.

The confidence interval, denoted [Low CI_s , UppCI_s] is given by the formula :

 [Low CI_s , UppCI_s] = [P8_s - CI_s , P8_s + CI_s]

where:

LowCIs	is the lower confidence limit for the school’s Progress 8 score
UppCIs	is the upper confidence limit for the school’s Progress 8 score
P8s	is the school’s Progress 8 score
CIs	is the size of the confidence interval for the school’s Progress 8 score

CI_s = 1.96 × σ_N/√( n_s)

where:

1.96	is the critical value for a 95% confidence interval
σN	is the standard deviation of the Progress 8 scores for all eligible pupils nationally
ηs	is the number of eligible pupils that belong to the school

The national average Progress 8 score of all pupils at state-funded maintained mainstream school scores will be 0.

When a school has their:

• lower confidence interval limit higher than 0 (LowCI_s > 0), the school’s Progress 8 score is above average, and the result is statistically significant
• upper confidence interval limit lower than 0 (UppCI_s < 0), the school’s Progress 8 score is below average, and the result is statistically significant
• confidence interval straddle 0 (LowCI_s < 0 <UppCI_s), the school’s Progress 8 score is likely to be above or below average, and the result is not statistically significant

Figure 1: Confidence intervals

Confidence intervals worked example

We can calculate the size of the confidence interval for the school’s Progress 8 score using CI_s:

CI_s = 1.96 x σ _N = 1.96 × 1.415869/√142 = 1.96 × 0.1188 = 0.23

We derive the confidence interval for the school’s Progress 8 score:

= [+0.26 - 0.23 , +0.26 + 0.23] = [+0.03 , +0.49]

As Low CI_s > 0, we can say that the school’s Progress 8 score is above the national average Progress 8 score, so this result is statistically significant.

National standard deviation of all Progress 8 scores and Progress 8 bucket scores

The standard deviations below are based on the Progress 8 scores of all eligible pupils at mainstream schools and are the national figures used in confidence interval calculations.

Table 5: Revised 2024 national standard deviations of Progress 8 and Progress 8 bucket scores

Measure	Revised 2024
Progress 8	1.415869
Progress 8 English bucket	1.613526
Progress 8 maths bucket	1.486500
Progress 8 EBacc bucket	1.636842
Progress 8 open bucket	1.616183

Table 6: Minimum scores in 2024

KS2 prior attainment group	KS2 average scaled score range	Minimum threshold for adjusted Progress 8
1 to 16	59 to 102	N/A
17	102.5 to 103	-4.087
18	103.5 to 104	-4.161
19	104.5 to 105	-4.174
20	105.5 to 106	-4.242
21	106.5 to 107	-4.262
22	107.5 to 108	-4.268
23	108.5 to 109	-4.229
24	109.5 to 110	-4.253
25	110.5 to 111	-4.274
26	111.5 to 112	-4.190
27	112.5 to 113	-4.112
28	113.5 to 114	-3.960
29	114.5 to 115	-3.797
30	115.5 to 116	-3.686
31	116.5 to 117	-3.539
32	117.5 to 118	-3.448
33	118.5 to 119	-3.119
34	119.5 to 120	-2.748

Schools should use table 6 to see which prior attainment group a pupil will have been allocated to depending on their KS2 average scaled score, and the lowest score they can be allocated in 2024.

Not all prior attainment groups have extremely negative scores. This is because the average Attainment 8 score for pupils in the lowest prior attainment groups will be relatively low. For example, in prior attainment group 1 (scaled scores between 59 and 82), the average Attainment 8 score was 15.96, whereas for prior attainment group 34 (scaled scores between 119.5 and 120), the average Attainment 8 score was 82.03. So, a pupil doing very badly in group 34 can get an extremely negative score (for example -8.20), whereas the lowest score a pupil in group 1 can get is -1.60.

It is only pupils in the middle to higher prior attainment groups that can gain a Progress 8 score that is so far below those for others with similar prior attainment that it has a disproportionate impact on the school’s score.

As set out in table 6, the lowest prior attainment groups (1 to 16) have minimum scores that are above the threshold for that prior attainment group, due to no pupils having scores extreme enough to be below the threshold. The middle to higher prior attainment groups (17 to 34) have pupils with extreme progress scores below the threshold. These are the only prior attainment groups where pupils’ scores have been changed by this methodology.

Final 2023 to 2024 Attainment 8 averages

Each Attainment 8 average is the average Attainment 8 score of all pupils nationally in state-funded mainstream schools within the same prior attainment group at KS2. The following tables show the final Attainment 8 averages for each KS2 prior attainment group, based on the cohort averages for the 2023 to 2024 academic year.

Changes to national subject entry patterns and performance, as well as changes in methodology for calculating measures and the approach to grading, can cause these averages to change. Schools may change their curriculum offer in response to the Progress 8 measure, so any modelling based on current national results can be misleading.

Table 7: Final 2023 to 2024 Attainment 8 averages and English, maths, EBacc and open averages for each KS2 prior attainment group

KS2 prior attainment group	KS2 average scaled score range	Attainment 8 average	English average	Maths average	EBacc average	Open average
1	59 to 82	15.96	3.86	2.39	4.36	5.35
2	82.5 to 86	16.64	4.18	2.50	4.38	5.59
3	86.5 to 87.5	19.02	4.76	3.07	5.00	6.20
4	88 to 89	20.80	5.15	3.45	5.49	6.71
5	89.5 to 90.5	22.01	5.37	3.76	5.86	7.03
6	91 to 92	23.71	5.74	4.16	6.34	7.48
7	92.5 to 93	25.02	6.02	4.48	6.67	7.84
8	93.5 to 94	26.43	6.34	4.82	7.06	8.22
9	94.5 to 95	27.65	6.55	5.13	7.44	8.54
10	95.5 to 96	29.13	6.82	5.51	7.92	8.89
11	96.5 to 97	30.25	7.03	5.78	8.20	9.23
12	97.5 to 98	32.30	7.46	6.24	8.82	9.78
13	98.5 to 99	33.78	7.73	6.56	9.29	10.19
14	99.5 to 100	35.47	8.06	6.95	9.81	10.65
15	100.5 to 101	37.28	8.39	7.32	10.39	11.18
16	101.5 to 102	38.94	8.72	7.68	10.90	11.65
17	102.5 to 103	41.03	9.10	8.13	11.59	12.20
18	103.5 to 104	42.98	9.47	8.52	12.23	12.76
19	104.5 to 105	45.13	9.85	8.98	12.95	13.35
20	105.5 to 106	47.46	10.28	9.45	13.74	13.99
21	106.5 to 107	49.78	10.70	9.93	14.51	14.63
22	107.5 to 108	52.58	11.17	10.53	15.48	15.40
23	108.5 to 109	55.31	11.66	11.09	16.38	16.18
24	109.5 to 110	57.62	12.06	11.57	17.17	16.82
25	110.5 to 111	60.23	12.50	12.12	18.06	17.55
26	111.5 to 112	62.87	12.99	12.63	18.92	18.33
27	112.5 to 113	65.49	13.39	13.20	19.81	19.08
28	113.5 to 114	68.17	13.82	13.77	20.73	19.84
29	114.5 to 115	70.61	14.23	14.29	21.53	20.56
30	115.5 to 116	73.17	14.60	14.91	22.36	21.31
31	116.5 to 117	75.47	14.95	15.42	23.10	21.99
32	117.5 to 118	77.28	15.27	15.77	23.69	22.55
33	118.5 to 119	79.75	15.70	16.26	24.42	23.37
34	119.5 to 120	82.03	16.15	16.71	25.02	24.15

Table 8: Final 2024 average EBacc and open slots filled for each KS2 prior attainment group

KS2 prior attainment group	KS2 average scaled score range	Average EBacc slots filled (out of 3)	Average open slots filled (out of 3)
1	59 to 82	1.86	2.05
2	82.5 to 86	2.12	2.23
3	86.5 to 87.5	2.23	2.32
4	88 to 89	2.33	2.42
5	89.5 to 90.5	2.39	2.45
6	91 to 92	2.45	2.49
7	92.5 to 93	2.48	2.53
8	93.5 to 94	2.55	2.59
9	94.5 to 95	2.57	2.61
10	95.5 to 96	2.61	2.63
11	96.5 to 97	2.63	2.66
12	97.5 to 98	2.68	2.70
13	98.5 to 99	2.70	2.72
14	99.5 to 100	2.73	2.74
15	100.5 to 101	2.77	2.78
16	101.5 to 102	2.79	2.79
17	102.5 to 103	2.81	2.82
18	103.5 to 104	2.83	2.83
19	104.5 to 105	2.85	2.86
20	105.5 to 106	2.87	2.87
21	106.5 to 107	2.89	2.89
22	107.5 to 108	2.91	2.90
23	108.5 to 109	2.92	2.92
24	109.5 to 110	2.93	2.93
25	110.5 to 111	2.94	2.93
26	111.5 to 112	2.95	2.94
27	112.5 to 113	2.95	2.95
28	113.5 to 114	2.96	2.96
29	114.5 to 115	2.97	2.96
30	115.5 to 116	2.97	2.97
31	116.5 to 117	2.98	2.97
32	117.5 to 118	2.98	2.97
33	118.5 to 119	2.98	2.98
34	119.5 to 120	2.99	2.99

Progress 8 bandings

How we calculated the bandings for 2024

If a school’s banding is:

• ‘well above average’, it means the progress score is greater than or equal to 0.5, and the entire confidence interval is above 0.
  
  16% of state-funded mainstream schools in England
• ‘above average’, it means the progress score is greater than 0 but lower than 0.5, and the entire confidence interval is above 0.
  
  18% of state-funded mainstream schools in England
• ‘below average’, it means that the progress score is score is lower than 0 but greater than or equal to -0.5, and the entire confidence interval is below 0.
  
  17% of state-funded mainstream schools in England
• ‘well below average’, it means that the progress score is score is lower than -0.5 and the entire confidence interval is below 0.
  
  16% of state-funded mainstream schools in England

Annex B: Attainment 8 worked examples (usual methodology)

Calculating Attainment 8

Worked example A

Table 9 sets out how the Attainment 8 score would be calculated for Pupil A, based on current point scores.

Table 9: KS4 results for Pupil A

ID	Qualification	Grade	Points	Included in the measure	Bucket	Doubled?	Total points
Qa1	GCSE maths	7	7	Yes	Maths	Yes	14
Qa2	GCSE English language	8	8	Yes	English	Yes	16
Qa3	GCSE English literature	6	6	Yes	Open	No	6
Qa4	GCSE biology	7	7	Yes	Sciences, history or geography, or languages	No	7
Qa5	GCSE art	4	4	Yes	Open	No	4
Qa6	GCSE physics	6	6	Yes	Sciences, history or geography, or languages	No	6
Qa7	GCSE French	9	9	No
Qa8	AS Level French	C	7	Yes	Sciences, history or geography, or languages	No	7
Qa9	GCSE Spanish	6	6	Yes	Open	No	6
Qa10	GCSE religious studies	3	3	No

Referring to the IDs of qualifications above, the following illustrates the calculation of the Attainment 8 score for Pupil A:

Figure 2: Illustration of the calculation of an Attainment 8 score for Pupil A

The calculation of the Attainment 8 score for Pupil A is:

Attainment 8 score = (Qa1 + Qa1) + (Qa2 + Qa2 as taken English literature) + (Qa4 + Qa6 + Qa8 + Qa3 + Qa5 + Qa9)

= (7 + 7) + (8 +8) + (7 + 6 + 7 + 6 +4 +6)

= 66

Dividing the Attainment 8 score by 10 gives the pupil’s average grade: 6.6.

Worked example B

Table 10 sets out how the Attainment 8 score would be calculated for Pupil B. 

Table 10: KS4 results for Pupil B

ID	Qualification	Grade	Points	Included in the measure	Bucket	Doubled?	Total points
Qb1	GCSE maths	3	3	Yes	Maths	Yes	6
Qb2	GCSE English language	4	4	Yes	English	No	4
Qb3	GCSE combined science	5-5	5	Yes	Sciences, history or geography, or languages	No	5
Qb4	GCSE computer science	4	4	Yes	EBacc	No	4
Qb5	WJEC Vocational Award in Hospitality and Catering	Level 2 distinction	7	Yes	Open	No	7
Qb6	Pearson BTEC Tech Award in sport	Level 2 merit	5.5	Yes	Open	No	5.5
Qb7	NCFE Level 1/2 Technical Award in business and enterprise	Level 2 pass	4	Yes	Open	No	4
Qb8	Pearson BTEC Tech Award in health and social care	Level 1 pass	1.25	No

Figure 3: Illustration of the calculation of an Attainment 8 score for Pupil B

The calculation of the Attainment 8 score for Pupil B is:

Attainment 8 score = (Qb1 + Qb1) + (Qb2 + 0) + (Qb3 + Qb3+ Qb4 + Qb5 + Qb6 +Qb7)

= (3 + 3) + (4 +0) + (5 + 5 + 4 +7 + 5.5 +4)

= 40.5

Dividing the Attainment 8 score by 10 gives the pupil’s average grade: 4.05.

Pupil B has not taken English literature, so the score for English language is not doubled. Computer science^{[footnote 16]} counts as a separate science in addition to combined science, so they score in each of the 3 sciences, history or geography, or languages slots. The 3 highest scores from the 4 technical awards they entered count towards the open slots.

Calculating a pupil’s Progress 8 score

Pupil B has an Attainment 8 score of 40.5. Their KS2 scaled score was 101. The national average revised Attainment 8 score for pupils with Pupil B’s KS2 result is 37.27 in 2024. Final 2024 attainment averages are shown in annex A. Pupil B’s Progress 8 score is the difference between their actual Attainment 8 score and the estimated Attainment 8 score, divided by 10: 40.5 – 37.27 = 3.23 /10 = 0.32 (to 2 decimal points).

Table 11: Worked example of Pupil B’s Progress 8 score

Pupil B’s prior attainment group – includes those with scaled score of	Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils in this prior attainment group	Pupil B’s estimated Attainment 8 score	Pupil B’s actual Attainment 8 score	Pupil B’s Progress 8 score (actual estimate)
100.5 to 101	37.27	37.27	40.5	(40.5-37.27)/10 = 0.32

Calculating a school’s Progress 8 score

The school’s Progress 8 score is the mean average of its pupils’ Progress 8 scores.

Worked example A

Pupil B is 1 of 142 pupils in their school’s KS4 cohort, who gain a range of Progress 8 scores:

Table 12: Worked example of unadjusted school Progress 8 score

Pupil number	Pupil name	P8 score
1	Pupil B	+0.32
2	Pupil C	-0.20
…	Pupil…	…
142	Pupil Z	+1.10
Sum:		+36.94

The school’s unadjusted Progress 8 score is calculated as the mean (the sum of the P8 score divided by the number of pupils). In this example, this is 36.94/142 = 0.26.

Calculating a school’s (adjusted) Progress 8 score

At Pupil B’s school, Pupil E is the only person in the school with an extremely negative Progress 8 score. Pupil E’s KS2 prior attainment was higher than most pupils nationally and has a KS2 scaled score of 116. They achieved no Attainment 8 points by the end of KS4. As a result, their (unadjusted) Progress 8 score is -7.32.

In this case, the minimum progress for pupils in Pupil E’s prior attainment group is -3.69. Therefore, this extremely negative pupil progress score will be adjusted from -7.32 to -3.69.

Table 13: Worked example of school adjusted Progress 8 score

Pupil Number	Pupil name	P8 score
1	Pupil F	+0.56
2	Pupil C	-0.20
3	Pupil E	-3.69
…	Pupil…	…
142	Pupil Z	+1.10
Sum:		+40.56

The school’s adjusted Progress 8 score is calculated as 40.56/142 = 0.29. Note that the unadjusted score in the previous example was 0.26.

The impact is larger on smaller schools. For example, if there are 50 pupils in this school at the end of KS4, then this would have raised the school’s adjusted Progress 8 score to 0.81 from an unadjusted score of 0.74.

Annex C: adapted methodology and worked examples for results achieved between January 2020 and August 2021

Early entries achieved between January 2020 to August 2021

Note that early entries from the 2020 to 2021 academic year or earlier are not counted in the 2025 to 2026 KS4 performance measures as we only include early entries from the 5-year period covered by Progress 8. The guidance that follows only covers entries from autumn 2021, as any entries from 2020 or summer 2021 entries are now out of scope.

The previous government decided that results from qualifications achieved between January 2020 and the extraordinary autumn 2021 examination series would not be used in school- and college-level performance measures in future years^{[footnote 17]}. Considering this, the methodology for calculating KS4 performance measures for 2021 to 2022 was adjusted. This was to take account of pupils entered early^{[footnote 18]} for qualifications between January 2020 and August 2021, who reached the end of KS4 in the 2021 to 2022 academic year.

We continued to apply this adapted methodology when calculating KS4 performance measures for 2023 to 2024 and 2024 to 2025 where a pupil had entered a qualification early and had a qualification result achieved between January 2020 and August 2021. We also applied this adapted measure for 2025 to 2026 KS4 performance measures for qualifications from the extraordinary autumn 2021 exam series only, as qualifications from summer 2021 or earlier now fall before our 5-year early entry cut-off period.

It is important to note that these changes to methodology minimise but cannot eliminate the impact of gaps in data. The approach was the best option available given the commitment not to use qualification results achieved between January 2020 and August 2021. Messages were in performance tables to highlight the change in methodology and potential impact on a school’s performance measures. 

When calculating KS4 performance measures from 2022 onwards, we counted entries (but not results) from qualifications taken between January 2020 and August 2021, or the extraordinary autumn 2021 examination series, where these fall within our 5-year period for taking early entries.

Annex D: understanding destination measures

Data sources

Data from the national pupil database (NPD) are used to calculate education destinations. The NPD links pupil and student characteristics (for example, age, gender, and ethnicity) to learning aims and attainment information for children in schools in England. Five administrative data sources used in compiling the NPD have been used to determine pupils’ education destinations. These are the:

• individualised learner record (ILR) covering English further education (FE) providers and specialist post-16 institutions
• school census covering English schools
• awarding body data
• AP census
• Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA) data covering UK universities

Employment data and out-of-work benefit data have been linked to the NPD to form the longitudinal education outcomes (LEO) dataset. Along with local authority data, LEO data is used to calculate employment destinations. Additional administrative datasets are also used. These are:

• employment data from His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• out-of-work benefit data from the Department for Work and Pensions and local authority

Cohort

The KS4 cohort is from state-funded mainstream schools and maintained and non-maintained special schools.

The national and local authority totals on the performance tables website include both state-funded mainstream and special schools.

Destinations are not reported for independent schools (including independent special schools).

Schools with destinations reported

The 2026 KS4 performance measures include information on schools that were open during the 2025 to 2026 academic year and had pupils at the end of KS4 in that academic year.

Since destination measures are calculated for pupils who completed KS4 at the school 2 years prior (in the 2023 to 2024 academic year), not all schools with attainment results have destination measures reported.

The reference date for open schools is at the start of each academic year, so changes to school types, openings and closures between 12 September 2023 and 12 September 2025 affect reporting.

Information included in the table

Pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after KS4

Any sustained education, apprenticeship, or employment destination.

Total number of pupils included in destination measures (cohort)

This is the total number of pupils in the 2023 to 2024 academic year cohort and is used to create the denominator for the measure.

Pupils staying in education for at least 2 terms after KS4

Students finishing KS4 who stayed in education from October to March the following year, including at school sixth forms, sixth-form colleges, FE colleges and other settings in England.

Further education college or other further education provider

Sustained participation in one or more FE institutions identified from the ILR. General and specialist FE colleges (other than sixth-form colleges) are reported here, as well as other FE providers.

Any provider in the ILR not identified as a sixth-form college or FE college is listed as ‘other FE provider’. It also includes pupils studying FE in a higher education (HE) institution. Pupils may be identified within the HESA data as being registered for FE level study at a higher education (HE) institution.

School sixth form

State-funded mainstream school sixth forms are identified from the school census data. The measure reports the proportion of the cohort participating at these institutions.

Sixth-form college

Sixth-form colleges are identified separately from the ILR data. The measure reports the proportion of the cohort participating at these institutions.

Other education

All remaining education destinations are grouped under this heading.

Independent schools

These destinations were identified from awarding body data that has been used to provide an indication of participation. For example, if a student sat an A level exam in summer 2025, it has been assumed the student completed a 2-year course of study and fulfilled the full 6 months participation from October 2024 to March 2025.

Pupils are identified as attending independent schools if awarding body data provides an indication of participation but there is no record of them attending other schools.

Alternative provision

Data on pupils in AP includes those who have their primary registration at a pupil referral unit, an AP academy, an AP free school or a hospital school. These destinations include other AP of education funded by the local authority outside of state-place-funded schools. This includes independent schools, non-maintained special schools, and providers who do not meet the criteria for registration as a school.

Attendance via AP for a period of time in the first 5 months of the academic year is used as a proxy for sustained participation.

Special schools

Pupils recorded on the school census as attending maintained or non-maintained special schools.

Specialist post-16 institutions

This includes data on pupils attending specialist post-16 institutions, as obtained from the ILR data.

UK higher education institutions

Pupils who have gone to any HE institution in the UK for higher-level study (level 4 and above), as recorded in HESA data.

Education combinations

Pupils identified as attending more than one type of institution over 6 months. For example, a student may have attended an FE college for 3 months and a school sixth form for 3 months. Provided they fulfilled the sustained participation criteria across the institution types, they are counted in the measure.

Apprenticeships

Pupils who started an apprenticeship at any point in the year and continued it for at least 6 months (2024 to 2025 academic year). Since October 2018, apprenticeship destinations have been reported separately from education and employment.

Pupils staying in employment for at least 2 terms after KS4

Pupils finishing KS4 who were in employment in the UK from October to March the following year.

Employment destinations are calculated from HMRC data in the LEO dataset. To count as a sustained destination, a pupil must be recorded as in employment in 5 out of the 6 months between October and March. A one-month pause is permitted to allow for those pupils taking separate periods of temporary employment. Should the one-month pause occur in March, the student is required to be in employment in April for the destination to be counted as sustained.

This category also includes pupils who have been identified as being self-employed because they completed a self-assessed tax return in the destination year (covering the financial year from April 2024 to April 2025). This is only if they did not claim benefits for more than one month in the period from October to March.

Pupils who have sustained participation in education throughout the period are reported as being in a sustained education destination and not in employment, even if they were in employment alongside their study.

Pupils not staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after KS4

Students finishing KS4 study who did not stay in education or employment for at least 2 terms. They may have been enrolled on a course or in employment for part of this time but did not sustain this activity or claimed out-of-work benefits in the year.

Destination unknown

Students finishing KS4 who had no participation in education or employment found from October to March the following year and were not recorded as receiving out-of-work benefits at any point in the year. Possible reasons for this could be that the young person was:

• not in education, employment or training
• living, working or studying overseas
• attending a Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish school or college
• undertaking activity other than paid employment or study in the UK
• not successfully matched to a record in our data sources

Suppression of destination data

The Code of Practice for Statistics requires us to take reasonable steps to ensure that our published or disseminated statistics protect confidentiality. Where appropriate, we apply disclosure control to protect confidentiality.

Annex E: English in the headline performance measures

Attainment 8 and, when available, Progress 8

If a pupil sits both English language and English literature, the higher grade is double-weighted. The lower grade can count in the open bucket of these measures. If only GCSE English literature or English language is taken, this qualification will count but will not be double-weighted.^{[footnote 19]}

Attainment in English and maths at grade 5 or above

A pupil needs to achieve a grade 5 or above in either English literature or English language. There is no requirement to sit both.         

DfE also publishes the percentage of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths and the percentage of pupils achieving a grade 7 or above in English and maths. The same English requirements apply to these measures as for English and maths at grade 5 or above.

Annex F: point score scales from 2022 onwards

This annex explains the point score scales that have been used from 2022 onwards. A list of all qualifications which count at KS4, and their corresponding performance points, is available.

Table 14: Point score scales for combined science qualifications in Attainment 8 and Progress 8

Combined science qualification grade	Points
Grade 9-9 (Double award)	9
Grade 9-8 (Double award)	8.5
Grade 8-8 (Double award)	8
Grade 8-7 (Double award)	7.5
Grade 7-7 (Double award)	7
Grade 7-6 (Double award)	6.5
Grade 6-6 (Double award)	6
Grade 6-5 (Double award)	5.5
Grade 5-5 (Double award)	5
Grade 5-4 (Double award)	4.5
Grade 4-4 (Double award)	4
Grade 4-3 (Double award)	3.5
Grade 3-3 (Double award)	3
Grade 3-2 (Double award)	2.5
Grade 2-2 (Double award)	2
Grade 2-1 (Double award)	1.5
Grade 1-1 (Double award)	1

Table 15: Point score scales for level 1 qualifications

Level 1 grade structure	Example grade	Points
4 grade scheme	Distinction*	3.00
4 grade scheme	Distinction	2.00
4 grade scheme	Merit	1.50
4 grade scheme	Pass	1.00
3 grade scheme	Distinction	3.00
3 grade scheme	Merit	2.00
3 grade scheme	Pass	1.25
2 grade scheme	Advanced credit	2.5
2 grade scheme	Credit	1.25
Pass only	Pass	1.75

Table 16: Point score scales for level 2 qualifications

Level 2 grade structure	Example grade	Points
4 grade scheme	Distinction*	8.50
4 grade scheme	Distinction	7.00
4 grade scheme	Merit	5.50
4 grade scheme	Pass	4.00
3 grade scheme	Distinction	7.75
3 grade scheme	Merit	6.25
3 grade scheme	Pass	4.00
Pass only	Pass	5.50

Table 17: Point score scales for AS level

AS level grade	Points
A	10.75
B	8.88
C	7.00
D	5.13
E	4.00 [footnote 20]

Table 18: Point score scales for graded music examinations

Graded music level	Grade	Points
Grade 8	Distinction	8.50
Grade 8	Merit	8.50
Grade 8	Pass	8.50
Grade 7	Distinction	8.50
Grade 7	Merit	8.50
Grade 7	Pass	7.00
Grade 6	Distinction	8.50
Grade 6	Merit	8.50
Grade 6	Pass	7.00

Table 19: Point score scales for FSMQ

Free standing maths qualification grade	Points
A	5.13
B	4.00
C	3.25
D	2.50
E	1.88

Illustrative examples of how to use these tables – points for all qualifications can be calculated following this method

Example A – Calculating the points for a level 2 qualification with 4 passing grades

These qualifications are at level 2, so table 20 should be used.

There are 4 possible passing grades (distinction*, distinction, merit, pass), so the level 2 4-grade scheme should be used.

Table 20 shows the 2025 points for a level 2 qualification with 4 passing grades.

Table 20: Point score scales for level 2 qualification with 4 passing grades

Level 2 qualification with 4 passing grades	Points
Distinction*	8.50
Distinction	7.00
Merit	5.50
Pass	4.00

The performance points practical guide provides guidance on points.

Example B – Calculating the points for a BTEC Technical Award

BTEC Technical Awards can be both level 1 and level 2 qualifications.

At level 1, there are 3 possible outcomes (Level 1 pass, Level 1 merit, Level 1 distinction), which makes for a 3-grade structure. Table 21 shows the points score scale for points between 1.25 and 3.0.

At level 2 in a BTEC Technical Award, there are 4 possible outcomes (distinction*, distinction, merit, pass) which makes for a 4-grade structure. Table 21 shows the points score scale for points between 4.00 and 8.50.

Table 21 shows the point score scales for the BTEC Technical Award:    

Table 21: Point score scales for BTEC Technical Award

BTEC Technical Award grade	Points
Level 2 distinction*	8.50
Level 2 distinction	7.00
Level 2 merit	5.50
Level 2 pass	4.00
Level 1 distinction	3.0
Level 1 merit	2.0
Level 1 pass	1.25

Example C – Calculating the points for an OCR Cambridge National Certificate

OCR Cambridge National Certificates can be both level 1 and level 2 qualifications.

Grades level 1 distinction, level 1 merit and level 1 pass are at level 1, which makes for a 3-grade structure. Table 22 shows the scale for points between 1.25 and 3.

Grades level 2 distinction*, level 2 distinction, level 2 merit and level 2 pass are at level 2, which makes for a 4-grade structure. Table 22 shows the scale for points between 4 and 8.5.

Table 22 shows the point scores for the OCR Cambridge National Certificate:

Table 22: Point score scales for OCR Cambridge National Certificate

OCR Cambridge National Certificate grade	Points
Level 2 distinction*	8.50
Level 2 distinction	7.00
Level 2 merit	5.50
Level 2 pass	4.00
Level 1 distinction	3.00
Level 1 merit	2.00
Level 1 pass	1.25

Point scores for other qualifications can be calculated using a similar method, as in examples A, B and C.

Annex G: worked examples of MAT measures

MAT level achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths

To calculate the MAT level achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths percentage, we:

• multiply the pupils achieving grade 5 or above in the 2 subjects by number of years in the MAT to calculate the total weighted number of pupils achieving above grade 5 in English and maths
• multiply the number of pupils at the end of key stage by number of years in the MAT to calculate the total weighted number of pupils at the end of key stage
• divide the number of weighted pupils achieving 5 or above by the weighted number of pupils at key stage

Table 23 outlines a MAT with 5 eligible academies, with a range of achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths percentages

Table 23: MAT measures achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths: worked example

	(i) Number of pupils at end of key stage	(ii) Pupils entered achieving grade 5+ in English and maths	% of pupils achieving grade 5+ in English and maths	(iii) Number of years with MAT	(iv) Total weighted pupils at end of key stage (i) *(iii)	(v) Total weighted pupils achieving grade 5+ in English and maths (ii) * (iii)
Academy 1	155	91	59%	5	775	455
Academy 2	162	68	42%	3	486	204
Academy 3	123	61	50%	5	615	305
Academy 4	223	105	47%	4	892	420
Academy 5	198	116	59%	4	792	464
Total	861	441		3,560	1,848

Unweighted MAT pupils achieving grade 5+ in English and maths ((sum of ii / sum of i) * 100) = 51%

Weighted MAT pupils achieving grade 5+ in English and maths ((sum of v / sum of iv) * 100) = 52%

MAT level Attainment 8

To calculate each academy’s Attainment 8 score, we:

• multiply number of pupils at the end of KS4 by the number of years in the MAT to calculate the total weight of the academy
• multiply the academy’s Attainment 8 score by the total weight of the academy to calculate the academy’s weighted score
• divide the total weighted score of all academies in the MAT by the total weight of all academies

Table 24 shows the Attainment 8 score for a MAT, with 5 eligible academies, each with their own Attainment 8 score.

Table 24: MAT measures Attainment 8: worked example

	(i) Attainment 8 score	(ii) Number of pupils at end of key stage	(iii) Number of years with MAT	(iv) Total weight (ii) * (iii)	(v) Weighted score (i) * (iv)
Academy 1	54	140	5	700	37,800
Academy 2	41	224	3	672	27,552
Academy 3	36	188	4	752	27,072
Academy 4	61	111	3	333	20,313
Academy 5	58	124	3	372	21,576
Total		787		2,829	134,313

MAT score (sum of v / sum of iv) = 47.5

The same measure is also produced for disadvantaged pupils in the MAT.

Table 25: Attainment 8 for disadvantaged pupils in a MAT

	(i) Disadvantaged Attainment 8 score	(ii) Number of disadvantaged pupils at end of key stage	(iii) Number of years with MAT	(iv) Total weight (ii) * (iii)	(v) Weighted score (i) * (iv)
Academy 1	40	30	5	150	6,000
Academy 2	45	59	3	177	7,965
Academy 3	39	50	4	200	7,800
Academy 4	51	22	3	66	3,366
Academy 5	47	90	3	270	12,690
Total		251		863	37,821

MAT score (sum of v / sum of iv) = 43.8

MAT level Progress 8 – when available

To calculate the MAT level Progress 8, we:

• multiply the number of pupils at the end of KS4 by the number of years in the MAT to calculate the total weight of the academy
• multiply the academy’s Progress 8 score by the total weight of the academy to calculate the academy’s weighted score
• divide the total weighted score of all academies in the MAT by the total weight of all academies

Table 26 shows a MAT with 5 eligible academies, with a range of Progress 8 scores.

Table 26: MAT measures Progress 8: worked example

	(i) Progress 8 score	(ii) Number of pupils at end of key stage	(iii) Number of years with MAT	(iv) Total weight (ii) * (iii)	(v) Weighted score (i) * (iv)
Academy 1	2.5	140	5	700	1,750
Academy 2	-2.5	224	3	672	-1,680
Academy 3	3.3	188	4	752	2,481.6
Academy 4	-1.5	111	3	333	-499.5
Academy 5	-1.5	124	3	372	-558
Total		787		2,829	1,494.1

MAT score  (sum of v / sum of iv) = + 0.5

Annex H: other additional measures

We also publish additional KS4 performance measures. These are outlined to follow.

The proportion of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths

For transparency, and to help schools show progress, an additional attainment measure in English and maths is published at grade 4 and above. This measure has the same methodology as its headline counterpart regarding qualification inclusion and requirements.

The additional measure shows where pupils achieved a grade 4 or above in GCSE English language or English literature and maths. Grades E or above in AS level English language or English literature and maths also count towards achieving this measure.

The proportion of pupils achieving a grade 7 or above in English and maths

For transparency, and to help schools show progress, an additional attainment measure in English and maths is published at grade 7 and above. This measure has the same methodology as its headline counterpart regarding qualification inclusion and requirements.

The additional measure shows where pupils achieved a grade 7 or above in GCSE English language or English literature and maths. Grades C or above in AS level English language or English literature and maths also count towards achieving this measure.

Average number of sciences, history or geography, or languages slots filled in Attainment 8 at school level

The number of sciences, history or geography, or languages slots filled per pupil within a school divided by the total number of pupils at the end of KS4 within the school.

The number of sciences, history or geography, or languages slots filled per pupil is calculated according to Attainment 8 methodology outlined earlier in the guidance.^{[footnote 21]}

Average number of open slots filled in Attainment 8 at school level

The number of open slots filled per pupil within a school divided by the total number of pupils at the end of KS4 within the school.

The number of Open slots filled per pupil is calculated according to Attainment 8 methodology outlined earlier in the guidance.^{[footnote 22]}

Pupils achieving 5 or more GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and maths

This measure is calculated with the following criteria:

• the attainment threshold is set to include those who achieve a grade 4 or above
• a pupil would have to achieve a grade 4 or above in English literature or English language (there is no requirement to sit both)
• the combined science qualification is counted as one GCSE

These 3 measures will be available at school level on Explore Education Statistics (EES).

Annex I: pupils and institutions included in KS4 performance measures

Pupils at the end of KS4

Pupils are identified as being at the end of KS4 if they were on roll at the school and in year 11 at the time of the January school census.

Age is calculated as of 31 August at the start of the academic year (most pupils are aged 15 at this point). Some pupils may complete this key stage in an earlier or later year group.

Institutions

Included in KS4 national statistics

National statistics include all state-funded schools. This includes academies, free schools, city technology colleges, FE colleges with provision for 14- to 16-year-olds and state-funded special schools. The statistics also include separate figures for independent schools.

Included in school level data

Provisional and revised performance measures are published at school level for state-funded schools^{[footnote 23]}, FE colleges with 14 to 16 direct entry and independent schools.

Pupils and their results are attributed to schools by matching pupil, exam and census data.

For state-funded schools, a pupil is matched to a school based on the pupil level annual school census (PLASC). Any exam results achieved by a pupil are matched to that pupil, regardless of where they were entered for the exam, including private exam entries.

For independent schools and FE colleges, pupils are allocated to a school or college based on exam data collected from awarding organisations and information from the ILR. Any exam results achieved by a pupil are matched to that pupil, regardless of where they were entered, including private exam entries.

Institutions can request some amendments to their pupil and exam data during the KS4 checking exercise.

Exams taken by a pupil at a previous school may potentially be discounted, and therefore will not count for the current school’s KS4 performance measures, based on our discounting rules for moving schools.

Annex J: timeline of changes since 2016

Table 27 provides a high-level summary of the range of school and college KS4 performance measures since 2016, detailing extensions to reporting (additional measures or extending coverage to include more qualifications).

It also outlines any methodological changes to how measures are calculated. Note, methodological changes are not applied retrospectively to previous cohorts/tables.

Table 27: Timeline of changes since 2016

Year	Change
2016	A new set of headline measures were introduced for all state funded secondary schools: • Progress 8 • Attainment 8 • the percentage of pupils achieving A* to C in English and maths • the percentage of pupils achieving the EBacc • the percentage of pupils entering the EBacc • the percentage of students staying in education or employment after KS4 (destinations) New additional measures introduced: • percentage of pupils entering more than one language qualification • the percentage of pupils entering physics, chemistry and biology Methodology change: Point score scale changes from 16-58 scale to a 1 to 8 point scale, where 1 is equivalent to a grade G GCSE and 8 equivalent to an A* GCSE Removal of ‘in school’ disadvantaged gap measures. Floor standard definition changed: Progress 8 score below -0.5, unless the confidence interval suggests the score may not be below average.
2017	Reformed GCSE qualifications: English and maths GCSEs, graded 9 to 1, were included in performance tables. Change to headline performance measures to reflect changes in grading: • the proportion of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths • the proportion of pupils achieving the EBacc grade 5 or above in English and maths, and grade C or above in unreformed subjects New additional measures: • the proportion of pupils achieving in English and maths grade 4 or above • the proportion of pupils achieving the EBacc grade 4 or above in English and maths, and grade C or above in unreformed subjects New supporting information published: • average number of EBacc slots filled in Attainment 8 at school level • average number of open slots filled in Attainment 8 at school level Multi academy trust measures introduced: • Progress 8 • Percentage entering EBacc • Percentage achieving EBacc at grade 5 and above or grade 4 and above
2018	Reformed GCSE qualifications: most GCSEs in EBacc subjects were graded 9 to 1. Change in headline performance measure: EBacc threshold attainment measure replaced as a headline measure with a new measure; EBacc average point score (APS). New additional measures (to replace old threshold measures based on unreformed GCSEs): • EBacc attainment at grade 4 and above • EBacc attainment at grade 5 and above Methodology change: A minor change to Progress 8 to reduce the disproportionate effect that extremely negative individual scores can have on a school’s overall score. Multi academy trust measures introduced: • EBacc average point score
2019	Almost all GCSEs were graded 9-1. There were no changes to KS4 performance measures. The floor and coasting standards were removed.
2020	No accountability measures produced at school level (apart from destination measures) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of most exams, tests and assessments. The school and college checking exercise was also cancelled. Centre-assessed grades were used to award qualifications.
2021	No accountability measures produced at school level (apart from destination measures, exam entries information and EBacc entry measure) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cancellation of most exams, tests and assessments. The school and college checking exercise was also cancelled. Teacher-assessed grades were used to award qualifications.
2022	Accountability measures at school level return, following return of exams. Methodology changes: • New KS2 baseline for Progress 8 due to the introduction of scaled scores to replace levels Qualification results achieved between January 2020 and August 2021 not included in performance measures but entries are. New MAT measures published: • Attainment 8 • Percentage of pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths
2023	No changes to KS4 performance measures
2024	No changes to KS4 performance measures
2025	Progress 8 not produced as primary tests and assessments were cancelled due to COVID-19 disruption, meaning there is no KS2 prior assessment data available to calculate the measure. Return to publishing three-year time series.
2026	Progress 8 not produced as primary tests and assessments were cancelled due to COVID-19 disruption, meaning there is no KS2 prior assessment data available to calculate the measure. EBacc entry and attainment measures removed. New additional measures in • Grade 7 and above in English and maths

Annex K: secondary performance measures

Table 28 shows the performance measures and breakdowns that will be available for 2025 to 2026.

Table 28: Secondary performance measures

Headline academic measures	Attainment 8: score Attainment in English and maths: percentage of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and maths
Headline pupil destinations	Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least two terms after KS4
Subjects entered	The subjects entered by pupils attending the school at KS4
Results by pupil characteristics	Breakdowns of headline academic measures are presented for: • Disadvantaged pupils • English as an additional language (EAL) • Gender • Non-mobile pupils It is not possible to produce prior attainment (low, middle and high prior attainers) as there is no KS2 baseline. Breakdowns of headline pupil destinations are presented for: • Disadvantaged pupils
Other KS4 results	Attainment in English and maths: percentage of pupils achieving a grade 4 or above in English and maths Attainment in English and maths: percentage of pupils achieving a grade 7 or above in English and maths Additional entry and achievement measures Entries into triple science: the percentage of pupils entered for biology, chemistry and physics Percentage of pupils entered for more than one foreign language Percentage of pupils achieving at least one qualification Exam entries per pupil, all KS4 qualifications Exam entries per pupil GCSEs Exam entries for disadvantaged pupils, all KS4 qualifications Exam entries for disadvantaged pupils GCSEs
Pupil destinations	Pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after KS4 Pupils staying in education (split by institution type) Pupils staying in apprenticeships Pupils staying in employment Pupils not staying in education or employment
MATs	Attainment 8 Attainment in English and maths at grade 5 and above These measures are broken down by disadvantaged pupils

1. Pupils are identified as being at the end of KS4 if they were on roll at the school and in year 11 at the time of the January school census. Age is calculated as of 31 August at the start of the academic year, and the majority of pupils at the end of KS4 were aged 15 at this point. Some pupils may complete this key stage in an earlier or later year group. ↩

2. This was updated for 2025 to 2026 performance measures, as, previously, AS level grade E counted towards the grade 5 and above measure. ↩

3. Before 2022 to 2023, school-level data for state-funded schools was published in the provisional publication, while results data for independent schools and FE colleges were published alongside state-funded schools with the revised publication. Institution-level data for all schools was published in provisional data from 2022 to 2023 onwards. ↩

4. We do not publish KS2 data for independent schools because they do not have to follow the national curriculum or enter pupils for KS2 tests. This means that independent schools are not included in the calculation of Progress 8. They are still included in other attainment measures at KS4. ↩

5. Qualifications that count toward this bucket are those from the list of qualifications that could formerly count towards the EBacc. ↩

6. First entry and discounting rules as set out in the discounting and early entry section still apply. ↩

7. If the EBacc maths qualification was taken between January 2020 and August 2021 and was therefore impacted by COVID-19, the result for the EBacc maths qualification would not count, but the free-standing maths qualification could count in the open bucket. ↩

8. Early entries in KS4 performance measures are taken from the 5-year period covered by Progress 8. Entries from 2020 to 2021 and earlier will not be counted. ↩

9. Where an academy has joined a trust since 12 September 2023 but immediately prior to that date the academy was part of a trust that was sponsored by their current trust since at least 12 September 2023, we will include the academy in the measures for their trust. ↩

10. We do not set a maximum limit on how positive a pupil’s progress score can be, as there are much smaller numbers of extremely positive progress scores that have a disproportionate impact than extremely negative ones. ↩

11. DfE adds 3 points to a pupil’s scaled score for each subject where special consideration is applied. The score is capped at the maximum score available for a test. For pupils who took KS2 tests from 2018 to 2019 onwards, KS2 scores for reading, maths and grammar, punctuation and spelling without special consideration applied are shown in GIAP. There is also a flag to show where special consideration has been applied. More information on special consideration can be found in the KS2 tests: special consideration guidance. ↩

12. Data from special schools is not included when setting minimum thresholds. Students in special schools who have extremely negative progress scores are not capped. ↩

13. Due to natural fluctuation of performance year-on-year, it may not be possible to use the same standard deviation value each year to calculate the minimum scores. ↩

14. Set at the provisional data stage, updated in the revised data stage, based on mainstream provision. ↩

15. Of pupils who are included in Progress 8. ↩

16. From 2014 computer science has counted as an individual science in KS4 performance measures. However, it can also count alongside combined science or single sciences in Attainment 8 or Progress 8, and it is not involved in science pathway discounting, so it is possible for computer science to count in Attainment 8 and Progress 8 measures alongside combined science. ↩

17. The extraordinary autumn 2021 exams were provided solely in response to the cancellation of the summer 2021 exam series, and entry was restricted to students who received a teacher-assessed grade in summer 2021 and to students who, in the opinion of the exam board, would have entered summer 2021 exams had they not been cancelled. ↩

18. Most commonly when pupils were in year 10 but also in year 9. ↩

19. If a pupil is entered for both English language and English literature but does not sit one of them and receives a grade X for that subject, the pupil’s numerical grade in the other English GCSE will count in the English bucket of Progress 8 or Attainment 8 but will not be double-weighted. ↩

20. Point score scales for AS level grade E were changed from 3.5 to 4.0 in 2026. ↩

21. In 2022, this measure did not include entries data from qualifications taken between January 2020 and August 2021 because the measure is calculated using results included in Attainment 8. ↩

22. In 2022, this measure did not include entries data from qualifications taken between January 2020 and August 2021 because the measure is calculated using results included in Attainment 8. ↩

23. All state-funded schools include local-authority-maintained mainstream schools, academies, free schools, city technology colleges, state-funded special schools and some information for FE colleges with provision for 14- to 16-year-olds. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, hospital schools, pupil referral units and AP. AP includes academy and free school AP. ↩