School Performance Methodology & Data Sources
Classpot uses published education data to make school comparisons easier to understand. Published measures are shown separately; schools cannot pay for a better academic result.
Methodology reviewed: 12 September 2026
Classpot Rating
Version: england-2024-25-90-10-v1. Available for eligible mainstream state Primary and Secondary schools across England. The formula uses 90% academic attainment percentile and 10% attendance percentile for 2024/25. Academic results are the main signal; attendance has a smaller influence. These are editorial weights for evaluation, not scientifically established weights.
Primary: reading, writing and maths expected standard. Secondary: Attainment 8. Lower overall absence receives a higher attendance percentile. Reference groups: 14,048 mainstream state primary and 3,058 mainstream state secondary schools in England with both measures, matched by current URN.
We rank the combined result nationally and assign 1–10 using ten percentile bands: below the 10th percentile is 1, the 90th percentile and above is 10. A rating of 10/10 means the highest band, not a perfect school. Equal results share a band. Component scores use the same ten bands. Labels are aligned with the displayed scores: 1 Much lower; 2–3 Lower; 4–7 Typical; 8–9 Strong; 10 Very strong. The overall rating uses unrounded component percentiles and is not an average of the displayed component scores. 6–10 use blue on profiles and green in the directory; 1–5 are grey. Colour is a presentation choice.
Best Primary and Best Secondary pages order schools by the unrounded result, before pagination. Ties share positions (1, 2, 2, 4). The same displayed integer may have different local positions. Unrated schools stay in the directory. Other directories retain their labelled order.
The rating is not adjusted for pupil intake, selection or cohort size and is not a measure of every aspect of school quality. It excludes Ofsted, parent reviews, unavailable pupil progress and payment status. Infant-only, private, nursery and specialist provision are outside this formula. No missing input becomes zero and predecessor results are not inherited.
Sources: final DfE 2024/25 KS2 and KS4 performance, full-year absence, and GIAS identities dated 8 September 2026. Schools without both measures receive no numeric rating. Missing geographic identity does not create a local position.
How to read school performance
Compare the same measure, academic year and school phase. Academic attainment describes results; pupil progress describes learning relative to pupils with similar prior attainment. They are different measures and are not combined into one score.
Primary profiles show published KS2 results. Secondary profiles show published GCSE measures such as Attainment 8 and English and maths results. Each period remains separate. A missing result is not zero or a low grade.
Progress 8 was not published for 2024/25 or 2025/26 because the baseline assessments were cancelled. Earlier results are historical. When a valid published confidence interval is available, it explains whether Progress 8 is statistically distinguishable from the national average; a positive score alone is not sufficient.
Classpot Rating appears for eligible schools across England, as described above. Legacy rankings remain withdrawn.
National benchmarks must match the result year and measure. When a matched benchmark is unavailable, we show the school result without an above/below-average judgement.
How directories are ordered
School and area directories normally default to alphabetical order and include schools without published exam results. Any Classpot Rating order is explicitly labelled beside the list. Other available sorts are labelled. Area totals count directory entries, not schools eligible for an academic ranking.
Nurseries, independent schools and specialist provision do not necessarily have the same published performance measures as mainstream state schools. Missing KS2 or GCSE data must not be interpreted as a low result.
Ofsted inspection findings remain separate, with their reporting framework and date. Historical overall judgements and newer report-card grades are not converted into a single Classpot score.
Official data sources
KS2, KS4, Progress 8, attainment, absence and destination measures.
Official school identity, phase, governance, location and contact details.
Published national datasets and statistical releases.
Inspection reports, historical overall judgements and inspection dates.
Admissions figures and historical allocation distances may also come from local authority publications. The relevant year is shown on school pages where it is supplied by the source.
Ofsted percentages
“Good or Outstanding” percentages use only schools with one of the four historical overall judgements: Outstanding, Good, Requires Improvement or Inadequate. Schools with no overall judgement are excluded from that percentage. Since overall judgements are not available for every newer inspection, category-level inspection information on individual profiles may be more recent.
Important limitations
- Official results are published with a delay and do not describe current pupils perfectly.
- Small cohorts and suppressed results can leave a school without a comparable rank.
- A ranking is not a personal recommendation and does not measure ethos, wellbeing, SEND fit or travel time.
- Independent-school coverage is limited where comparable DfE results are not published.
- Ofsted judgements and academic results measure different things and are not combined into one hidden score.
Choosing a school
Build a shortlist, then compare admissions, distance, inspection detail and the needs of your child. Visit schools before making a final decision.