How we calculate the figures

Entries are original course or qualification entry counts, not pupil counts. Combined Science contributes two grades but one course entry. GCSE grade thresholds divide individual grades by fully published grade entries; coverage divides fully published course entries by known course entries.

Only complete grade distributions contribute to rates. Null, suppressed and missing values stay unknown; a published zero remains zero. Known totals can be incomplete where entry counts are unpublished. Coverage alone does not measure school quality.

Benchmarks are entry-weighted England samples from the same imported year. GCSE comparisons match the school type in that year. Subject comparisons also match the canonical subject. A-Level samples do not assume an institution type. These are not official national averages, value added or Progress 8.

Each qualification uses its own latest available metrics year. Historical-only schools remain accessible. Source names can change for one URN; different URNs are never merged automatically.

Top 100 ranking policy top-100-minimum-entries-v1

All GCSE and A-Level Top 100 tables, including State, Grammar and Independent Schools, require at least 100 known course entries in the latest imported results year. Schools below 100 Entries are excluded before sorting, even if their grade rate is 100%. Entries are course entries, not unique pupils; Combined Science counts once towards this minimum. GCSE requires 90% published coverage and A-Level 80%. Unknown entry totals and uncalculable primary rates are ineligible.

Area ranking policy entry-coverage-v2

Area rankings retain their separate thresholds: GCSE requires at least 200 known course entries and 90% published coverage; A-Level requires at least 60 entries and 80% coverage. Unknown entry totals are ineligible. The latest imported year and a calculable primary rate are required. Both Top 100 and area rankings order GCSE by Grade 7+, then Grade 8+, then Grade 9; A-Level by A*–B, then A*–A, then A*, all highest first. Rates use full precision. Schools share a competition rank only when all three rates match. Unknown secondary rates follow known rates; school name and URN provide stable ordering when all three rates match. These are editorial entry/coverage filters, not an official quality rating; they have not been calibrated as quality thresholds.

Calculated summaries use deterministic text from the current facts. No external AI service is required, and no grades are estimated.

Official KS4 pupil measures

Official Attainment 8 and English and maths measures are imported directly from DfE Total rows, using the source academic year, URN and release. English and maths thresholds require the same pupil to achieve the grade in both subjects; the denominator is the KS4 pupil cohort, not exam entries. Attainment 8 follows official qualification eligibility, subject slots and weighting, and is not an average GCSE grade or a measure of value added.

Official reference columns use the same year and results-year local authority and cover all state-funded schools. They are separate from our entry-weighted England samples and are not adjusted for pupil intake. International GCSEs do not count in these official measures; independent-school figures may reflect only part of the qualifications taken. English and maths 7+ for individual schools is available from 2026 in this dataset; earlier local and national reference values may be available. Progress 8 was not published for 2025 or 2026 because the KS2 baseline assessments were cancelled.

Published zero, suppressed, not applicable, unreliable and missing values retain their original states. No suppressed value is reconstructed. School background describes the results year; current GIAS classifications and current admissions may differ. SEN percentages describe cohort composition, not support quality.