Schools and education: statistics terms explained

School performance measures, key stages, absence, special educational needs and disadvantage: the terms used in education statistics for England.

Attainment 8

A measure of GCSE-level results in England, adding up a pupil's points across eight qualifications, with English and maths counted double.

Attainment 8 measures how well pupils in England do across eight GCSE-level qualifications at the end of key stage 4. English and maths count double, three slots are for English Baccalaureate subjects (sciences, languages, history and geography) and three are for other approved qualifications. Points follow the 9 to 1 GCSE grades, giving a maximum score of 90. School and national figures are averages per pupil.

Why it matters when checking a claim

Raw attainment, not progress. Schools with pupils who arrived with high results will tend to score higher. Progress 8 adjusts for starting points.
Grading changes. Results in 2020 and 2021 used teacher or centre assessed grades, so comparisons with those years need care.
England only. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use different qualifications and measures.

See how to find school performance tables and GCSE results statistics.

Also searched as: Attainment 8 score, Attainment 8 meaning, average Attainment 8 score, GCSE performance measure

Official definitions: DfE: Key stage 4 performance · DfE: Secondary accountability measures (including Progress 8 and Attainment 8)

Progress 8

A value-added measure for secondary schools in England, comparing pupils' GCSE-level results with those of pupils nationally who had similar results at age 11.

Progress 8 shows how much progress pupils at a school make between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of key stage 4, compared with pupils nationally who had similar key stage 2 results. A score of 0 means pupils did as well as similar pupils nationally; positive scores are above average and negative scores below. It is based on the same eight slots as Attainment 8.

Why it matters when checking a claim

Not available for 2024/25 and 2025/26. The Department for Education says Progress 8 cannot be calculated for these years because primary tests were cancelled in 2019/20 and 2020/21, so there are no key stage 2 results for those pupils.
Confidence intervals. School scores come with confidence intervals; small schools' scores are less certain.
Relative measure. The national average is zero by design, so the national figure cannot show improvement over time.

See how to find school performance tables.

Also searched as: Progress 8 score, Progress 8 meaning, Progress 8 explained, value added score

Official definitions: DfE: Secondary accountability measures (including Progress 8 and Attainment 8) · DfE: Key stage 4 performance

Key stages

The stages into which compulsory schooling in England is divided, from key stage 1 (ages 5 to 7) to key stage 4 (ages 14 to 16).

The national curriculum in England is organised into key stages:

Early years foundation stage: up to the end of reception (age 5).
Key stage 1: years 1 and 2 (ages 5 to 7).
Key stage 2: years 3 to 6 (ages 7 to 11), ending with national tests often called SATs.
Key stage 3: years 7 to 9 (ages 11 to 14).
Key stage 4: years 10 and 11 (ages 14 to 16), usually ending in GCSEs.

Why it matters when checking a claim

Education statistics are published by key stage, so a claim about "primary results" usually means key stage 2 and "secondary results" key stage 4.
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland organise schooling differently, so key stage figures are not UK-wide.

See the Explore Education Statistics guide.

Also searched as: key stage 2, KS2, KS4, key stages uk ages, SATs

Official definitions: GOV.UK: The national curriculum · DfE: Key stage 2 attainment

Education, health and care plan (EHCP)

A legal document in England setting out the support a child or young person up to age 25 with special educational needs must receive.

An education, health and care (EHC) plan is a legally binding document for a child or young person aged up to 25 in England whose special educational needs cannot be met through the support normally available in schools and colleges (called SEN support). It is issued by the local council after an EHC needs assessment and sets out the person's needs and the education, health and care support they must receive.

Why it matters when checking a claim

Two counts. The Department for Education publishes the number of EHC plans held (from a January council return) and, separately, pupils with SEN in schools. The totals differ because plans cover ages 0 to 25 and settings outside schools.
Timeliness. Plans should normally be issued within 20 weeks of a request; the statistics report how many meet that limit.
Other nations. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland use different systems and plans.

Also searched as: EHCP, EHC plan, SEND, special educational needs, EHCP meaning

Official definitions: DfE: Education, health and care plans · GOV.UK: Extra help for children with special educational needs

Persistent absence

Pupils in England who miss 10% or more of the school sessions they could attend. Missing 50% or more is called severe absence.

A pupil is persistently absent if they miss 10% or more of their possible school sessions (half-days) for any reason, authorised or not. That is roughly the equivalent of one day every two weeks. A pupil missing 50% or more is severely absent. The Department for Education publishes termly and annual absence statistics for schools in England, and daily attendance data.

Why it matters when checking a claim

Rate of pupils or rate of sessions? The persistent absence rate is the share of pupils; the overall absence rate is the share of sessions missed. They are different numbers.
Term matters. Absence is usually higher in the autumn and spring terms because of illness, so compare like periods.
Authorised or unauthorised. Illness counts as authorised absence; claims about truancy should use unauthorised absence.

See the Explore Education Statistics guide.

Also searched as: persistently absent, severe absence, school absence rate, persistent absence definition

Official definitions: DfE: Pupil absence in schools in England · DfE: Pupil attendance in schools

Disadvantage gap

The difference in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils. In England it is published as the disadvantage gap index.

The disadvantage gap is the difference in results between pupils classed as disadvantaged (mainly those eligible for free school meals in the past six years, or who are or were looked after) and all other pupils. The Department for Education publishes a disadvantage gap index at key stage 2 and key stage 4, which compares the average rank of the two groups. A value of zero would mean no gap.

Why it matters when checking a claim

The index, or a points gap? Claims may use the index, a gap in average grades, or a gap in "months of learning". These are different measures.
Who counts as disadvantaged can change as free school meal eligibility rules change, which affects comparisons over time.
Pandemic years. Changes in assessment in 2020 and 2021 affect comparisons.

See how many children get free school meals.

Also searched as: attainment gap, disadvantage gap index, disadvantaged pupils gap, FSM gap

Official definitions: DfE: Key stage 4 performance · DfE: Key stage 2 attainment

Pupil premium

Extra funding for state schools in England for each disadvantaged pupil, such as those eligible for free school meals in the past six years or who are looked after.

The pupil premium is additional funding paid to state-funded schools in England to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. It is allocated per eligible pupil, mainly for those recorded as eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years, and at a higher rate for looked-after and previously looked-after children. A separate service pupil premium supports children of armed forces families.

Why it matters when checking a claim

Rates change each year. Per-pupil rates and total allocations are published by the Department for Education for each financial year; check the year a figure refers to.
Eligibility is not the same as current free school meals. More pupils are eligible for the premium than currently receive free meals.
Cash or real terms? A rise in the cash rate may be a fall in real terms.

See disadvantage gap and how many children get free school meals.

Also searched as: pupil premium funding, pupil premium eligibility, pupil premium meaning, Ever 6 FSM

Official definitions: DfE: Pupil premium · DfE: Schools, pupils and their characteristics

English Baccalaureate (EBacc)

A school performance measure in England showing how many pupils take GCSEs in English, maths, sciences, a language and history or geography.

The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is not a qualification but a set of GCSE subjects used as a performance measure in England: English language and literature, maths, the sciences, a language, and history or geography. The Department for Education reports the EBacc entry rate (the share of pupils entering all the subjects) and the EBacc average point score.

Why it matters when checking a claim

Entry or achievement? A claim about "pupils taking the EBacc" uses the entry rate; a claim about results should use the average point score or grades achieved.
Policy may change. Accountability measures are reviewed from time to time; check the current DfE guidance for which measures are in use.
Link to Attainment 8. Three of the eight Attainment 8 slots are for EBacc subjects.

See GCSE results statistics.

Also searched as: EBacc, English Baccalaureate meaning, EBacc subjects, EBacc entry rate

Official definitions: DfE: English Baccalaureate (EBacc) · DfE: Key stage 4 performance