Understanding Progress 8
Progress 8 is a secondary-school accountability measure in England. This guide explains what it measures, when it is available and its limitations.
No Progress 8 for two current cohorts
DfE says Progress 8 cannot be calculated for academic years 2024/25 and 2025/26 because the relevant pupils have no KS2 prior-attainment baseline following COVID-19 test cancellations. Any Progress 8 value shown on Classpot is therefore from an earlier published year; check the year beside the figure.
What is Progress 8?
Progress 8 measures how much progress pupils make between the end of primary school (Key Stage 2, age 11) and their GCSE results (Key Stage 4, age 16). It was introduced by the Department for Education in 2016 as a fairer way to compare schools.
Unlike raw GCSE results, Progress 8 accounts for each pupil's starting point. This means schools are judged on the value they add, not just whether they have high-achieving pupils.
How Progress 8 is Calculated
Progress 8 is based on 8 GCSE subjects in specific "buckets":
- English (double weighted) – English Language or Literature
- Maths (double weighted)
- EBacc subjects (3 slots) – Sciences, Computer Science, Geography, History, Languages
- Open subjects (3 slots) – Any other approved qualifications including arts, vocational
Each pupil's results are compared to the national average for pupils with similar KS2 starting points. The school's Progress 8 score is the average of all pupils' individual progress scores.
What the Scores Mean
DfE publishes a 95% confidence interval and banding with the score. A positive point estimate is not automatically statistically above average, and a negative point estimate is not automatically statistically below average. Smaller cohorts usually have wider confidence intervals.
Progress 8 vs Attainment 8
Attainment 8is the companion measure – it's simply the average grade achieved across the same 8 subjects. A higher Attainment 8 means better raw GCSE grades.
Progress 8
Measures value added. Better for comparing schools fairly, especially across different areas and intakes.
Attainment 8
Measures raw results. Useful if you want to know the typical grades achieved by leavers, regardless of starting point.
Tips for Using Progress 8
- 1Check the data year. Progress 8 is a relative, in-year measure. DfE says scores should not be compared directly from one year to another.
- 2Check the confidence interval. Small schools have wider confidence intervals, meaning their score is less reliable.
- 3Use the DfE banding. Do not infer statistical significance from the positive or negative sign alone.
- 4Use more than one measure. Read attainment, subject entry, destinations and inspection evidence as separate pieces of information.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good Progress 8 score?
Zero is the national average for that cohort. Read the score with its confidence interval and DfE banding; the point estimate alone is not enough.
Is Progress 8 available for 2024/25 and 2025/26?
No. DfE says it cannot be calculated for those two academic years because the relevant cohorts do not have a KS2 prior-attainment baseline.
Why do some schools have negative Progress 8?
A negative point estimate means the cohort made less progress than pupils with similar starting points in the same national cohort. Check the confidence interval and published banding before interpreting it.
Official source: DfE secondary accountability measures guidance. Reviewed 3 August 2026.
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