Frequently Asked Questions

We believe no single number can capture school quality. That's why SchoolsInfo uses a multi-dimensional ranking system that scores every school across several independent metrics, so you can sort by what matters most to your family.

Primary School Rankings (KS2 Data)

• Attainment Rank — % of pupils meeting the Expected Standard in Reading, Writing & Maths (DfE KS2 results).
• Progress Rank — Average value-added from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 across Reading, Writing & Maths progress scores. This measures how much the school improves each child, regardless of their starting point.
• Equity Rank — The attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils. A smaller gap means fairer outcomes for all children.

Secondary School Rankings (KS4 Data)

• Attainment Rank — Attainment 8 score, the DfE's headline measure of GCSE grade quality.
• Progress Rank — Progress 8 score, measuring the value a school adds between Key Stage 2 and GCSEs.
• EBacc / STEM Rank — English Baccalaureate Average Point Score, reflecting strength in core academic subjects including Sciences and Languages.
• Destinations Rank — Percentage of students entering sustained education or employment after Year 11.
• Disadvantaged Gap Rank — The absolute difference in Progress 8 scores between FSM-eligible and non-FSM pupils. Smaller gap = rank 1. Measures how equitably a school serves disadvantaged pupils.

Sixth Form Rankings (KS5 Data)

• A-Level Value Added Rank — DfE institution-level A-level value added score. Measures how much sixth-form students progressed relative to their prior GCSE grades. Positive = better than expected; negative = below expected.

Ofsted Grade Rank (All Phases)

• Based on each school's most recent graded Ofsted inspection (Outstanding / Good / Requires Improvement / Inadequate). Ranked nationally and within LA. Note: this is not year-specific — always check the inspection date.

Admissions Demand Rank (Both Phases)

• Calculated as the ratio of first-preference applications to total places offered. A higher ratio indicates a more competitive school for admissions.

Every rank is computed both nationally and within each Local Authority, so you can see how a school performs relative to its local peers as well as the whole country.

Full methodology and data sources →

Data sources: DfE KS2, KS4 and KS5 performance tables, Ofsted inspection outcomes, GIAS school information, and DfE admissions data. Rankings are recalculated annually when new data is published.

The Overall Rank is a weighted composite score that combines individual ranking dimensions into a single number. It is used as the default sort in league tables, but we always encourage parents to explore individual dimensions.

Primary School Composite Weights

Secondary School Composite Weights

Why is Progress weighted highest? Because Progress scores measure the value a school adds to each student. Raw attainment often correlates with the socio-economic profile of a school's intake area, while Progress reveals how effectively the school itself teaches and supports its students, regardless of starting ability.

Admissions demand, Ofsted grade, disadvantaged gap, and A-level value added are tracked as separate ranks and are not folded into the overall composite score. They are shown alongside it so you can weight them according to your own priorities.