Schools for us

How the ranking works

Each school gets a score out of 100. Every factor you care about scores the school from 0 to 1 on a published figure, and counts in proportion to how much you said it matters. The points under each school add up to its score.

• Results. Where the school's newest result sits among every state school in England with a result that year: the top 1% scores 1 and the lowest 0. Primary: pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at 11. Secondary: Progress 8 (the newest is 2023/24) or Attainment 8.
• Ofsted. Outstanding or exceptional 1; good, strong or ISI standards met 0.75; expected standard 0.5; requires improvement or needs attention 0.25; inadequate, urgent improvement or standards not met 0. A report card is scored by its lowest area.
• Distance. 1 at the school gate, falling to 0 at the furthest you said you would travel, as the crow flies.
• Getting in. What the newest figures we hold show happened, never a forecast: 1 if nobody was refused, or if the school is no further away than the last place offered, falling to 0 at twice that distance. Where we hold only DfE's applications figures: 1 if every family that put it first was offered a place, 0.25 if not. Councils measure distance their own way, often by walking route, and siblings, faith or a catchment can come before distance.
• Attendance and behaviour. Absence and suspensions against schools with a similar intake: the same as them scores 0.5, better scores more.
• Class size. 1 for classes of 20, 0 for 32.

A figure we do not hold counts at the middle, 0.5, and the school's reasons say so. Ties go to the nearer school. Special schools and colleges are not listed.

Sources: DfE school performance tables; Ofsted and the Independent Schools Inspectorate; councils' offer-day figures; DfE applications and offers; DfE pupil absence, suspensions and class sizes; DfE Get Information about Schools.