School performance data can be helpful, but only if you know what each metric is trying to measure.
This guide explains how to compare schools using a balanced approach: progress (how much pupils improve), attainment (final grades), curriculum breadth (EBacc), and context (attendance, cohort size, demographics).
Key takeaways
- Use progress and attainment together; do not rely on one metric.
- EBacc tells you about curriculum breadth, not school quality.
- Trends and context matter more than single-year numbers.
In this guide
Progress vs attainment: why both matter
Attainment tells you the grades pupils achieved. Progress tells you how much pupils improved relative to their starting point. A school can have high attainment because it has a high prior-attaining intake, while another school may be doing exceptional teaching work and delivering strong progress.
For most parents, progress measures are the fairest way to compare schools, while attainment measures help you understand absolute outcomes and sixth form readiness.
EBacc entry rate and curriculum breadth
EBacc entry rate is a proxy for how broadly academic the curriculum is. It can be positive if you want a more traditional academic route, but it can be a negative fit if your child would benefit from more vocational pathways.
The point is not that high or low EBacc is always good. The point is that curriculum design should match your child.
Trends and context: avoid one-year overreactions
Always check whether a score is part of a pattern. If a school has improved steadily for several years, that can matter more than being slightly behind a neighbour in one snapshot.
Context matters because results are influenced by cohort size, SEND proportions, disadvantage, mobility, and attendance. You are looking for evidence of good teaching and support, not perfection.
- Look for stability or improvement over time.
- Use attendance and behaviour culture as reality checks.
When the data conflicts with what you see
Sometimes a school feels great on a visit but the data is weak, or the data looks strong but the culture feels off. This is normal. Data is a lagging indicator; culture and leadership changes can take time to show up.
In those cases, ask more specific questions, read the Ofsted report carefully, and check whether leadership has changed recently. Your goal is to understand direction and fit.
A simple plan you can follow
Use this as a lightweight workflow as you shortlist, visit, and decide.
- Pick 5 to 10 schools in a realistic radius.
- Compare Ofsted date + report narrative alongside performance measures.
- Check trends and cohort context before forming conclusions.
- Visit and ask targeted questions where data and culture differ.
- Shortlist and rank based on fit and direction of travel.
Practical templates
Use these lists as prompts on open days and when comparing schools side-by-side.
- Progress measures reviewed (secondary).
- Attainment measures reviewed (secondary).
- EBacc entry rate considered.
- Attendance/absence rates checked.
- Ofsted inspection date and narrative read.
- Trends noted over time where available.
- How do you support pupils to make progress from their starting points?
- What interventions exist for literacy and numeracy gaps?
- How do you stretch high attainers?
- How stable is staffing in core subjects?
- What does behaviour look like in lessons day-to-day?
- Comparing schools using raw attainment only.
- Using Ofsted as the only proxy for outcomes.
- Judging a school on one unusually strong or weak year.
- Ignoring attendance and behaviour as leading indicators.
Use this with Schoolboard
Turn the guide into a shortlist you can compare on the map and school pages.
- Sort and filter by performance measures to build a data-driven shortlist.
- Use map colouring to see local clusters and compare neighbourhood options.
- Open school pages to compare metrics and context side-by-side.