Frequently asked questions

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What the measures mean

What is Progress 8?

It measures how much better or worse a school's pupils did across eight GCSEs than pupils nationally who started from the same place at the end of primary school. Because it compares like with like, it is the fairest single measure of what a school itself added — as opposed to what its pupils arrived able to do.

What is a good Progress 8 score?

Zero is the national average, not a fail. Roughly: +0.5 or above is well above average, -0.5 or below is well below, and anything between is broadly average. A school at -0.2 is much closer to typical than the minus sign suggests.

Why is there no Progress 8 for 2024/25 or 2025/26?

Progress 8 starts from each pupil's Year 6 SATs results, and SATs were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid. So the Department for Education is not publishing Progress 8 for 2024/25 or 2025/26. For those years, look at Attainment 8 and the grade 4 and grade 5 measures instead — or at a school's 2023/24 Progress 8, the latest there is.

What is value added?

How much progress pupils made, rather than what grades they got: their results compared with pupils nationally who started from the same point. Progress 8 is the value-added measure for secondary schools, and 0 means average. It is the fairest way to compare schools whose pupils arrive at very different levels.

What is Attainment 8?

The average grade points a school's pupils achieved across their best eight GCSEs, out of a maximum around 90. The national median was 44.7 in 2023/24. Unlike Progress 8 it makes no adjustment for prior attainment, so it largely tracks who attends the school.

What is a school's average grade?

Divide Attainment 8 by 10. English and maths count twice, so Attainment 8 adds up ten grades' worth of points, and a tenth of it is the average grade per GCSE. An Attainment 8 of 52 is an average of about grade 5.2 — just above a strong pass (5). The national median of 44.7 is about grade 4.5.

What does "grade 5 or above in English and maths" mean?

The share of pupils reaching at least grade 5 in both subjects. Grade 5 is a "strong pass"; grade 4 is a "standard pass". The national median for grade 5+ was 41% in 2024/25 — so a school where half the year group manages it is above average, which surprises most people.

How do the 9–1 GCSE grades compare with the old letters?

Grade 9 is above the old A*, 7 is roughly an A, 4 is roughly a C, and 1 is the lowest pass. There are more grades at the top end than the old system had, which is the point of the change.

What are SATs, and what does "expected standard" mean?

Key stage 2 tests, taken in Year 6, covering reading and grammar/punctuation/spelling, with writing assessed by teachers. "The expected standard in reading, writing and maths" is the share of pupils meeting it in all three combined — the national median was 64% in 2024/25. The "higher standard" is a smaller group working meaningfully above it.

Which GCSEs do pupils have to take?

In England every pupil takes GCSEs in English language, maths and science, and almost all take English literature too. Schools also teach religious education and PE up to 16, but a GCSE in them is not required nationally. The rest are options, usually chosen in Year 9: most pupils take 9 or 10 GCSEs in all. A pupil who finishes without grade 4 in English or maths carries on studying it after 16.

What is double science (combined science)?

The science GCSE most pupils take. It covers all three sciences — biology, chemistry and physics — and counts as two GCSEs, with a double grade such as 6-6 or 7-6. Triple science (separate sciences) is three full GCSEs in biology, chemistry and physics, with more content in each. Both lead on to A-level sciences.

What is the EBacc?

Not a qualification: a group of subjects (English, maths, sciences, a language, and history or geography). Schools report what share of pupils entered the full set, which says more about a school's curriculum choices than about its results.

What do A-level points mean?

An average score per entry, where each grade is worth a set number of points. It lets schools with different numbers of entries be compared, but it says nothing about which subjects were taken.

What does pupils per teacher mean?

The number of pupils for each full-time teacher. It is not class size: teachers also have planning time and some teach small groups, so most classes are larger than the ratio. The median in England is about 17 in secondary schools and 21 in primary schools (2024/25).

What does FSM (free school meals) mean?

The share of pupils eligible for free school meals, which depends on the family receiving certain benefits such as Universal Credit. It is the usual rough guide to how many children at a school come from low-income homes. A high figure says who a school serves, not how good it is.

What does "disadvantaged" mean?

In the Department for Education's figures, a pupil is disadvantaged if they have been eligible for free school meals at any time in the last six years, are looked after by the council, or left care through adoption or a guardianship order. Because it looks back six years, it is usually higher than a school's current FSM figure.

Ofsted and grammar schools

What do the Ofsted grades mean?

Ofsted's older inspections gave each school one overall grade: Outstanding, Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate. Good is the expected standard, and most schools have it. Requires improvement means the school is not yet good; Inadequate means serious weaknesses, and the school is then monitored closely. Independent schools are often inspected by ISI instead, which uses different wording. Newer inspections give a report card rather than one grade.

What is a grammar school?

A state secondary school that chooses its pupils by academic ability, using an entrance test (the 11+). Grammar schools charge no fees. There are 163 in England, concentrated in a few areas — Kent alone has 32 — so most families do not have one nearby.

What is the 11+?

The entrance test for grammar schools, taken at the start of Year 6 — usually in September, after registering in the spring or summer of Year 5. What it tests depends on the area: usually a mix of verbal reasoning, non-verbal reasoning, maths and English. Each area or school sets its own pass mark, and passing does not guarantee a place if more children pass than there are places.

What is a special school, and how do places work?

A school for children with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) that an ordinary school cannot meet, usually with small classes and specialist staff. Some cater for one need, such as autism or deafness; others for many. Some mainstream schools also have a unit or resourced provision — a specialist base inside an ordinary school. Most special school places go to children with an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP): the council names the school in the plan after consulting it, rather than through the usual application. If your child does not have one, you can ask the council for an EHC needs assessment yourself. Ask the chat for special schools near a town or postcode — for example "special schools near Bristol for autism".

Applying for a place

How do school admissions work in England?

You apply to the council where you live, even for schools in another council's area, and you can name at least three schools (many councils allow up to six). The deadlines are 31 October for a secondary place and 15 January for a Reception place. Offers come on National Offer Day: 1 March for secondary and 16 April for primary (or the next working day).

A school with enough places must offer one to everyone who applies. When it has more applicants than places, it ranks every application by its published oversubscription criteria: looked-after and previously looked-after children first, then usually things like siblings, a catchment area, distance or faith. You are offered the highest school on your list that can give you a place. If none can, the council normally offers a place at another school that still has room. You can then join waiting lists and appeal. Ask the chat about a school's criteria and how far away the last child offered a place lived.

Does the order of my school preferences matter?

Not for your chances at each school. Every school considers your application as if you had put it first — the School Admissions Code (paragraph 1.9) bans "first preference first" rules. The order only decides which offer you get if more than one school could offer you a place: you get the one you ranked highest. So put the schools in the order you really want them. Putting a school lower does not help you get into it, and leaving a school off does not make another more likely.

Do include at least one school you are very likely to get, usually your nearest or your catchment school. If every school on your list is out of reach, the council offers whatever has places left, which can be further away.

What if we're not in the catchment area of any school?

It happens, especially near council borders or in villages between towns. Not every school uses a catchment area: many rank by straight-line distance, so you can still get in if you live closer than other applicants. Check each school's criteria and how far away the last child offered a place lived — the chat can show both for schools near your postcode.

Name at least one school you are likely to get. If you get none of your preferences, the council must still find your child a place, usually at the nearest school with room. If that school is beyond walking distance — 2 miles for under-8s, 3 miles from age 8 — your child may qualify for free school transport. Councils set the detail, so check theirs.

Which address do I use if we're moving house?

Councils use the address where your child lives on the closing date (31 October for secondary, 15 January for primary). Most accept a new address only with proof that the move is certain, such as exchanged contracts or a signed tenancy agreement. If you move after the closing date, most councils will update your address up to a cut-off date, but some then treat your application as late. Each council publishes its own rules on addresses and proof, and some check for families using a temporary or relative's address, so read your council's admissions scheme before deciding when to apply.

If you move after your child has started school, you apply for an in-year place in the new area instead.

What happens if I apply late, or left a school off my form?

You can change your preferences until the closing date. After that, most councils treat changes and new applications as late: they are considered only after every on-time application, so popular schools are usually full by then. Councils accept some late applications as on time for good reasons, such as a recent house move. Once offers are out, you can ask to join the waiting list of any school you want, including one you left off your form. Waiting lists are ranked by the school's criteria, not by when you applied. If you are refused a place you can appeal.

For grammar schools, whether a late test or a late application is possible depends on the area, so check with the council or the school straight away.

Does joining a church help get a place at a faith school?

Sometimes. Schools with a religious character can give priority by faith when they are oversubscribed, but each school sets its own rules. Many ask for regular worship over a set period (often one or two years), confirmed by a faith leader on a supplementary form, so joining shortly before applying often doesn't count. Others give no faith priority at all, or only for some places. New faith academies and free schools must offer at least half their places without reference to faith when oversubscribed. Every faith school must offer a place to any child, of any faith or none, if it has room. Ask the chat about a particular school to see its criteria.

Do infant school pupils have to apply for junior school?

Yes, if the infant and junior schools are separate. You apply for Year 3 through the council by the primary closing date, 15 January, and offers come on 16 April. Many junior schools give priority to children from their linked infant school, but that is not automatic everywhere, so check the junior school's criteria. If you are moving, apply from the address your council will accept (see the address question above). If you move after offers, ask the new council for an in-year place.

Does my child have to start Reception full-time?

No. Your child is entitled to a full-time place in the September after their fourth birthday, but until they reach compulsory school age — the term after their fifth birthday — you can choose for them to attend part-time, or delay their start until later in that school year (School Admissions Code, paragraph 2.17). That choice is yours, not the school's.

Can a school put my child on a part-time timetable?

Only in exceptional circumstances, and only with your agreement. DfE attendance guidance says a part-time timetable should be temporary, meet a specific need (for example a medical condition or a return after long absence), have an end date and be reviewed regularly. It must not be used to manage behaviour. If a school sends your child home without your agreement, or keeps a reduced timetable going with no plan to end it, ask for the plan in writing. You can also raise it with the council's education welfare or SEND team, because it may amount to an unlawful exclusion. A Reception child who is not yet of compulsory school age is different: you can choose part-time attendance yourself (see the question above).

How many open days should I go to, and what should I ask?

Visit every school you might put on your form, including the one you are most likely to get. Seeing it in a normal school day, as well as at the open evening, helps. Useful questions: how big are classes and teaching groups; how is homework set; how do they handle behaviour and bullying; what support is there for children who struggle or race ahead; what is the SENCO's role, if your child has extra needs; how do pupils travel; and what clubs run. Before you go, check the school's admission criteria and how far away the last child offered a place lived, so you know whether it is a realistic choice. The chat can tell you both, and the school's open event dates where we have them.

What does oversubscribed mean?

A school is oversubscribed when more families apply than it has places. Places then go in the order of the school's published oversubscription criteria — usually looked-after and previously looked-after children first, then things such as siblings, a catchment or priority area, distance from home, or faith, depending on the school. Oversubscribed does not mean you cannot get in: what matters is where your child falls in that order. Ask the chat about a school's criteria and how far away families who got places lived.

How do waiting lists work?

If your child is not offered a place, you can usually ask to go on the school's waiting list (some councils add you automatically). In England the admission authority must keep the list until at least 31 December of the year of entry. It is ranked by the same oversubscription criteria as the original offers — not by how long you have been on it — so a family who moves nearby or joins later can go above you. When a place comes up, it is offered to the child at the top of the list. You can be on a waiting list and appeal at the same time.

How do school admission appeals work?

If your child is refused a place, you have the right to appeal to an independent appeal panel. You must be given at least 20 school days from the refusal letter to lodge it, and appeals for the main entry round are normally heard within 40 school days of that deadline. The panel first checks the admission arrangements were lawful and correctly applied, then weighs your reasons for wanting the school against the problems another pupil would cause it. Appeals for Reception to Year 2 are much harder to win, because the law limits infant classes to 30 per teacher. For a grammar school, if your child did not reach the pass mark, the panel can also consider evidence that they are of grammar school ability. Your refusal letter explains how to appeal and the deadline.

What is a super-selective grammar school?

An informal name for a grammar school that gives its places mainly in order of 11+ score, highest first, rather than to children who pass and then live closest. Because distance matters little or not at all, children travel from a wide area and the score needed is usually much higher than the pass mark. Ask the chat about a particular school to see how it ranks applicants and, where published, the score that was needed.

What is an in-year admission?

Applying for a place outside the usual starting point — for example after moving house part-way through the school year. Depending on the area you apply to the council or directly to the school. If there is no place you can join the waiting list and you have the same right to appeal. Councils also have a Fair Access Protocol to place children who have been out of school or are hard to place.

Our school score

Is this a league table?

No. We rank schools within their local authority and their own phase, never nationally. A national table mostly measures who attends a school rather than what the school does — and the schools a family can realistically choose between are the ones near them, of the right phase. Ranking the whole country would produce a longer list that answers a question nobody asked.

How is the score worked out?

Every measure is read as a position among comparable schools and then weighted, so a school in the middle of the country scores 5. The full method — the weights, how both Ofsted frameworks are handled, and what the score cannot tell you — is set out on How the school score works.

What does a score like 9.4 mean?

The SchoolsGPT Score runs from 0 to 10 and shows where a school sits among comparable schools across England, so a school exactly in the middle scores 5. A 9.4 is near the top of comparable schools. A 4 is not a failing school — it has more schools above it than below. It is our own measure, not an official DfE or Ofsted grade.

Why does this school have no Ofsted grade?

Since November 2025 Ofsted has published a report card grading several areas separately and has stopped giving a single overall word. Schools inspected under the new framework therefore have no Outstanding/Good/Requires improvement judgement at all, and their grades are not directly comparable with older ones.

About this site

Is SchoolsGPT an official website?

No. SchoolsGPT is an independent, unofficial project. It isn't run by Ofsted, the Department for Education, any Local Authority, or any school. See our Terms of Service for the full disclaimer.

Where does the school data come from?

From public official sources: the DfE's Get Information About Schools (GIAS) service, Ofsted inspection outcomes, the DfE's Explore Education Statistics service (Progress 8, Attainment 8, KS2 results), and admissions policies published by Local Authorities. We don't survey schools or collect data privately.

How accurate is the data and the AI's answers?

We aim for accuracy, but data can be out of date or contain errors, and AI-generated answers and summaries can be wrong even when they sound confident. Always confirm anything important — deadlines, catchment areas, qualifying scores — directly with the school or Local Authority before relying on it.

What's the "AI summary" on school pages?

Some school pages show a machine-generated summary of that school's latest Ofsted inspection report, to make a long official document quicker to skim. It's clearly labelled as AI-generated, and links to the original report so you can read the source yourself.

Do I need to create an account?

No. There's no login. Your browser gets an anonymous ID so your chat history and saved schools persist between visits on the same device — see our Privacy Policy for details.

Is my data private?

We don't collect your name or email unless you give it to us via the Contact form. Chat messages are stored against an anonymous client ID to improve the service. Full details are in the Privacy Policy.

Can I delete my chat history?

Yes — contact us with your client ID (found in your browser's local storage under sgpt_client_id) and we'll delete conversations tied to it.

Is SchoolsGPT free?

Yes, the site is free to use.

I found an error on a school's page — how do I report it?

Please use the Contact page and include the school name and what looks wrong — we'll take a look.

Does SchoolsGPT only cover grammar schools?

No — the map, school search, and area reports cover every open state school in England, plus independent (fee-paying) schools across England, Wales and Scotland, and basic school listings (name, address, phase) in Wales and Scotland too. Ofsted-style ratings, performance rankings, and catchment/admissions data are England-specific for now — neither Wales nor Scotland publishes an equivalent bulk dataset (their inspectorates don't issue a single headline grade the way Ofsted does). Grammar-school admissions (11+, qualifying scores, selective catchments) remain a deeper specialty area of the site, including the dedicated Grammar Rankings page.