Secondary Accountability Measure Guidance provided by the Department for Education: Source

Progress 8 score

“This score shows how much progress pupils at this school made between the end of key stage 2 and the end of key stage 4, compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2. This is based on results in up to 8 qualifications, which include English, maths, 3 English Baccalaureate qualifications including sciences, computer science, history, geography and languages, and 3 other additional approved qualifications. In a small number of cases, pupils can have extremely negative progress scores that disproportionately affect a school’s overall progress score. To reduce the impact of these extreme scores, we set a limit on how negative a pupil’s progress score can be when calculating the school average. This will normally apply to 1 or 2 pupils per school, if any. Where a pupil’s score is more negative than this minimum value, an adjusted score will replace the pupil’s original progress score for the purpose of calculating a school’s overall progress average. A score above zero means pupils made more progress, on average, than pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2. A score below zero means pupils made less progress, on average, than pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2. A negative progress score does not mean pupils made no progress, or the school has failed, rather it means pupils in the school made less progress than other pupils across England with similar results at the end of key stage 2. Detailed guide to Progress 8 – for more information about how the Progress 8 score is calculated.”

Pupils included in a school’s Progress 8 score

“Pupils who have no key stage 2 results (for example, those arriving at secondary school from an independent school or abroad) are not included in the Progress 8 measure. See the Secondary Accountability Measures guidance for more information.”

Schools and colleges not covering full Progress 8 period

“Some schools start educating pupils partway through the 5-year period covered by Progress 8, which should be taken into account when comparing their results with schools that start at Key Stage 3. Progress 8 is not the most appropriate performance measure for university technical colleges, studio schools and some further education colleges. These establishments typically start educating pupils at age 14, with a focus on preparing pupils for their future careers by providing an integrated academic and professional education. Other headline measures, particularly pupil destinations, are more important for these establishments.”