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Ofsted inspects schools in England and, until September 2025, awarded one of four headline grades: Outstanding (1), Good (2), Requires Improvement (3), or Inadequate (4). Most schools were rated Good or Outstanding.

From September 2025, Ofsted replaced single headline grades with detailed report cards. Each school is now assessed across multiple areas — quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and safeguarding — giving parents a much richer picture.

Schools inspected before the change retain their existing headline grade until their next inspection. On the What School, we clearly indicate which system applies to each school.

Note: Ratings can be several years old. Always check the date of inspection. Read our full guide: Understanding the New Ofsted Report Cards.

Key Stage 2 progress scores measure how much progress pupils make between Year 2 (age 7) and Year 6 (age 11) in reading, writing, and maths — relative to other pupils who started at the same level nationally.

A score of 0 means pupils made exactly the same progress as the national average. A score of +3 means pupils made significantly more progress than average. A score of -3 means they made less.

Progress scores are often a better indicator of school quality than raw attainment scores, because they account for the starting point of pupils. A school serving disadvantaged pupils with a progress score of +4 is doing exceptional work.

Persistent absence (PA) is defined by the DfE as missing 10% or more of possible school sessions in an academic year. With around 380 sessions a year, that means missing 38 or more — roughly one day per fortnight.

The national average persistent absence rate is around 17–20%. Rates above 20% are a concern and often indicate wider challenges in a school community, including pupil wellbeing or school culture issues.

During and after COVID-19, PA rates increased significantly across England, so some recent data may appear higher than historical norms.

The pupil-teacher ratio tells you how many pupils there are per qualified teacher in a school. The national average is around 20.6 pupils per teacher.

A lower ratio (e.g. 15:1) generally means more direct teaching attention. A higher ratio (e.g. 28:1) may mean less individual support, though this varies depending on how well-deployed teaching assistants are.

Note: PTR counts qualified teachers only. Schools with many TAs may have a higher PTR but still excellent support levels.

FSM stands for Free School Meals. Pupils whose families receive certain benefits are eligible for FSM. Schools receive Pupil Premium funding for each FSM-eligible pupil — currently around £1,480 per primary pupil and £1,050 per secondary pupil per year.

The FSM percentage shown on a profile indicates the socio-economic mix of pupils. A school with 40% FSM serves a significantly more deprived community than one with 5%. This is important context when comparing results — the playing field is not level.

Pupil Premium funding is ring-fenced and schools must report publicly on how they spend it.

The English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is a set of GCSE subjects that the government encourages secondary schools to teach. It includes English, mathematics, at least two sciences, history or geography, and a language.

The EBacc entry percentage shows how many pupils in a school are studying all five EBacc subject areas. Government ambition is for 90% of pupils to enter the EBacc by 2025.

A low EBacc entry rate may mean the school offers a broader curriculum with more creative/vocational options, or that it serves pupils for whom EBacc subjects are less appropriate.

RWM stands for Reading, Writing, and Maths Combined. This is the percentage of Year 6 pupils who achieved the expected standard in all three subjects simultaneously.

The national average is around 60%. This is a higher bar than each individual subject — a pupil must meet expected standard in all three to count.

It's a useful summary metric: a school at 80% combined has very strong outcomes across the board, while a school at 45% is well below average and worth investigating further.