Methodology
This page explains how Eduscope organises and interprets UK school data. Our approach ensures consistent, accurate information for parents, researchers, and education professionals.
School Status
Every school in our database has one of three status values, determined by official DfE records. Status affects visibility in search results and inclusion in statistical counts.
Open
Currently operating and accepting students. These schools appear in search results and are included in all counts.
Proposed Closure
Scheduled to close at a future date. These schools remain visible in search results with a warning notice, and are included in counts until officially closed.
Closed
No longer operating. These schools are excluded from search results and all counts to prevent outdated information and double-counting with successor schools.
Why exclude closed schools? Excluding closed schools prevents double-counting when a school converts to a new type (e.g., community school to academy) and ensures users see only currently available options.
Canonical School Records
Each school is uniquely identified by a URN (Unique Reference Number) assigned by the Department for Education. This ensures accurate tracking even when schools undergo changes.
How URNs work
- Each URN represents one canonical school record
- When schools merge, convert to academies, or reorganise, a new URN is issued
- The predecessor relationship links new schools to their historical records
- Only current canonical records count toward statistics
How Schools Are Grouped
Schools are classified using multiple dimensions. Educational phase indicates the age range and curriculum stage a school serves.
| Phase | Typical Ages |
|---|---|
| Nursery | 2-5 |
| Primary | 5-11 |
| Secondary | 11-16/18 |
| Middle (Primary) | 8-12 |
| Middle (Secondary) | 9-13 |
| All-Through | 3-18 |
| 16 Plus | 16-19 |
School Type Groups
Schools are grouped by their governance and funding model.
Academies
Academy converter, Academy sponsor-led, Free school, Studio school, University technical college
Maintained
Community school, Foundation school, Voluntary aided school, Voluntary controlled school
Independent
Independent school
Special
Special school (community), Special school (foundation), Special school (non-maintained), Special free school
School Provisions
Additional classifications based on facilities and support offered.
- Nursery provision
- Sixth form provision
- SEN: Autism Spectrum Disorder
- SEN: Hearing Impairment
- SEN: Visual Impairment
- SEN: Physical Disability
- SEN: Speech, Language, Communication
- SEN: Social, Emotional, Mental Health
Location Hierarchy
Schools are organised into a four-level geographic hierarchy. Each school belongs to exactly one location at the most specific level available.
Region
Broad geographic regions of England (e.g., South East)
County
Traditional or ceremonial counties (e.g., Kent)
Local Authority
Administrative areas responsible for education services (e.g., Maidstone)
Town
Specific towns and localities where schools are situated (e.g., Aylesford)
How counts aggregate
Parent locations include all schools from their child locations. For example, viewing "South East" (region) shows the combined count of all schools in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, and other counties within that region, including their local authorities and towns.
Counting Rules
The following rules ensure consistent and accurate school counts across all pages and statistics.
Status Filter
Only schools with status 'open' or 'proposed closure' are counted
Canonical Records
Each school is counted once based on its canonical URN
Location Aggregation
Location counts aggregate all schools within the hierarchy (e.g., region counts include all counties, local authorities, and towns within)
Exclusive Types
School type counts are mutually exclusive; each school belongs to exactly one type
Official Classification
Phase assignments follow official DfE classifications
Exclusions
Certain establishments are not included in Eduscope's search results and counts.
- Schools pending registration (not yet officially open)
- Children's centres and early years settings without school status
- Non-school establishments (pupil referral units may be included separately)
- Independent schools without DfE registration
- Historical predecessor records (preserved internally but not displayed)
These exclusions help maintain data quality and ensure users find schools that are currently accessible and relevant to their search.
Interpreting Performance Data
Academic performance data requires careful interpretation. Raw results alone don't tell the full story.
Attainment vs Progress
Attainment measures show what grades or levels pupils achieved. These are affected by the school's intake—schools in affluent areas often have higher attainment due to factors outside the school's control.
Progress measures (like Progress 8 and KS2 progress scores) compare pupils' results to those of similar pupils nationally. A positive score means pupils made more progress than expected; negative means less. Progress measures are generally more useful for assessing school effectiveness.
Confidence Intervals
Progress scores include confidence intervals. A school with Progress 8 of +0.2 might have a confidence interval of -0.1 to +0.5. If the interval crosses zero, the school's progress is not significantly different from average. Small cohorts have wider intervals.
Year-to-Year Variation
Results can fluctuate significantly year-to-year, especially in schools with small cohorts. A single year's results may not reflect the school's typical performance. Consider trends over multiple years where available.
Suppressed Data
Some data is suppressed by the DfE to protect pupil privacy or because the data is not applicable.
Small Cohorts
Data is suppressed when fewer than 6 pupils are in a group, to prevent identification of individual pupils.
Identifiable Groups
Breakdowns by characteristics (e.g., disadvantaged pupils) are suppressed if the group is too small.
Not Applicable
Some metrics don't apply to certain school types. For example, KS4 data doesn't apply to primary schools.
Data Quality
Data may be suppressed if the DfE has concerns about its accuracy or completeness for a particular school.
Interpreting Financial Data
School financial data helps understand resource allocation but requires context for meaningful comparison.
Per-Pupil Figures
Per-pupil expenditure allows comparison between schools of different sizes. However, schools with higher needs (more SEN pupils, more disadvantaged pupils) typically receive more funding and may spend more per pupil.
Expenditure Categories
Staff costs (teaching and support staff) typically comprise 75-80% of a mainstream school's budget. The remaining 20-25% covers premises, learning resources, catering, energy, and other costs. Special schools often have different patterns due to higher staffing ratios.
Revenue Reserves
Schools maintain reserves for planned expenditure, unexpected costs, and financial stability. Very high reserves may indicate underspending; very low or negative reserves may indicate financial pressure. Context matters—a school planning a major investment may temporarily have low reserves.
Interpreting Workforce Data
Staff statistics provide insight into school resourcing and stability.
Pupil-Teacher Ratio
The number of pupils per qualified teacher. Lower ratios don't automatically mean smaller class sizes—they can also reflect more non-classroom teachers (leadership, SEN coordinators, etc.). Primary schools typically have higher ratios than secondary schools.
Teacher Retention
Staff turnover varies by school type, region, and local labour market conditions. High turnover isn't always negative (e.g., teachers gaining promotion elsewhere), and low turnover isn't always positive (e.g., a school struggling to attract new teachers).
Interpreting Destinations Data
Destination measures show where pupils go after leaving school, providing insight into longer-term outcomes.
Sustained Destinations
The DfE tracks whether pupils sustain their destination for at least two terms in the academic year after leaving. This captures whether pupils remained in education or employment, not just whether they enrolled initially.
Higher Education Breakdown
KS5 destinations include university tier breakdowns (Russell Group, top third by tariff, Oxbridge). These reflect student choices and grades achieved, not necessarily school quality. Schools with higher-attaining intakes will naturally have more students progressing to selective universities.
Time Lag
Destinations data has a significant time lag—it measures outcomes for pupils who left 2-3 years before the data is published. Current pupils may have different opportunities and outcomes.
Methodology Enquiries
If you have questions about our methodology, notice inconsistencies, or would like clarification on how specific data is classified, please get in touch.