This year and the next, the calculation of Progress 8 is not possible as the SATs were suspended for two consecutive years during the pandemic.
This year and the next, the calculation of Progress 8 is not possible as the SATs were suspended for two consecutive years during the pandemic.
Grammar schools have surged back to the forefront of GCSE league tables, following a two-year hiatus on the Progress 8 metric.
Progress 8 cannot be determined this year and next due to the cancellation of SATs over the pandemic period. This measure evaluates student progress from the conclusion of primary schooling through to GCSEs.
Currently, the governmentâs performance website defaults to ranking institutions based on attainment 8, which assigns scores across eight subjects, including English and mathematics.
In the previous year, 15 out of the top 50 schools with the highest Progress 8 scores were grammar institutions. This year, only one remains among the top schools, predominantly featuring selective schools whose students had already demonstrated high achievement upon enrollment.
Michaela Community School in West London is the sole state institution making the top 50 at 47th place, whereas it typically leads the Progress 8 rankings.
Experts contend that this reaffirms that, despite its shortcomings, progress data is a more equitable method of comparing schools compared to raw attainment statistics alone, as it takes into account the varying levels of achievement at entry.
FFT Datalab highlighted a collection of schools that boasted above-average progress scores last year but fell below the average in attainment scores for 2025, noting that institutions in lower-income areas tend to record lower Attainment 8 metrics.
âParents have a perception of a quality schoolâ
The Steiner Academy Hereford, ranked sixth nationally for Progress 8 last year, has now dropped to 838th in the Attainment 8 rankings.
Eden Boysâ School in Birmingham, which achieved the fourth-highest Progress 8 score in 2024, ranks 225th for Attainment 8.
Bedford Free School of Advantage Schools moved from 42nd in P8 last year to 1,542nd in the current A8 rankings.
Stuart Lock, the Chief Executive of Advantage Schools, expressed pride in the institution, stating he is ânot concernedâ about its league table position.
âI donât believe parents focus much on Progress 8 or Attainment 8. The insights beyond a broad suggestion have never been compelling for parents. Instead, they have a general perception of what constitutes a good school in their locality,â he said.
âNow, as Attainment 8 is all we have, itâs not anyoneâs fault. I advocate for data, transparency, and league tables, but such data conveys very limited information.â
He also acknowledged the merit of the grammar schools excelling, as they are most likely performing effectively.
âPersistent Challengesâ
Frank Young, the Chief Policy Officer at Parentkind, remarked that performance metrics can be âvery challengingâ for parents, who consider a âholistic view of schools.â
âWhile data is beneficial, there are ongoing challenges in communicating that data effectively to help parents understand how their school compares to others nearby or those with similar characteristics. Nonetheless, it certainly isnât the sole metric that parents consider,â he commented.
When examining individual institutions on the Department for Educationâs (DfEâs) school performance webpage, it clearly states that âattainment measures reflect how pupils have performed in tests and assessments, but do not factor in their starting points.â
Progress 8 was introduced in 2016, replacing the previous measure of 5 A*-C including English and maths as the primary assessment for secondary schools.
The future of Progress 8, likewise how it might evolve, is intricately linked to the governmentâs curriculum review, stated Pepe Diâ Iasio, General Secretary of ASCL.
âWe aim for a system where the information provided to parents accurately represents the comprehensive work schools undertake. We can see that the government is moving toward this direction, but the metrics supporting any system must be appropriate,â he concluded.
Datalab noted that comparative performance assessments of schools are now most equitable against those with similar intake characteristics.
The DfE has been contacted for commentary.
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