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England’s official secondary school performance for 2024/25 is now based on Attainment 8 scores, highlighting disparities between selective and non-selective schools amid debate over fair assessment methods.
England’s highest-achieving secondary schools for the 2024/25 academic year have been officially named, marking a significant shift in how school performance is assessed. The Department for Education (DfE) released preliminary key stage 4 performance data, but unlike previous years, this data ranks schools by their Attainment 8 scores rather than the usual Progress 8 scores. This change stems from the unavailability of key stage two baseline assessment data, disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, which prevents calculation of Progress 8 scores for this and next year.
Attainment 8 measures pupils’ average achievement across eight GCSE subjects, including compulsory English and maths (both double-weighted), along with sciences, languages, history, geography, and three additional approved qualifications. Unlike Progress 8, which tracks pupil progress from the end of primary school, Attainment 8 focuses solely on the raw GCSE results without accounting for starting points. Scores roughly correlate with the 9-1 GCSE grading scale, where dividing by 10 approximates the average grade per pupil.
The league table based on Attainment 8 scores reveals a dominance of selective schools, particularly in London. The Henrietta Barnett School in North London topped the list with an exceptional Attainment 8 of 87.2, nearly double the national average of 45.9. Close behind were Wilson’s School, an Anglican boys’ academy in South London, and Queen Elizabeth’s School in Barnet, both achieving scores above 85. This highlights a pronounced advantage for selective academies in these metrics.
However, this approach has sparked debate, as the shift to Attainment 8 changes the landscape from the Progress 8 focus, which had attempted to measure how well schools support pupil progress, particularly from more disadvantaged backgrounds. Industry analysis shows some schools with high Progress 8 scores now rank lower on Attainment 8, emphasizing that raw attainment may favour those with more academically advantaged intakes. For instance, The Steiner Academy Hereford, previously ranked sixth nationally by Progress 8 last year, fell dramatically to 838th by Attainment 8.
Other reports reveal contrasting perspectives on top-performing schools when Progress 8 remains the metric. According to recent data from Ofsted inspections combined with Progress 8, schools such as Michaela Community School in Wembley topped the 2025/26 league with a strong Progress 8 score of 2.56, an indicator of well above average progress. Similarly, Mercia School in Sheffield and Tauheedul Islam Girls’ High School in Blackburn also feature prominently under Progress 8 rankings, some of which are missing from the Attainment 8 tables.
Regional data further enriches the picture, with schools excelling in their local contexts. For example, in the North East, Durham Johnston Comprehensive and Emmanuel College maintain a high standard, and Shropshire’s top school, Newport Girls’ High School, achieved an impressive Attainment 8 score of 73.2, with nearly 99% of pupils securing a Grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSEs.
The DfE’s shift to Attainment 8 for official performance measures this year and next has raised important questions about how best to assess school effectiveness fairly. While Attainment 8 offers a straightforward snapshot of achievement, it lacks the nuance of Progress 8’s pupil progress tracking, which accounts for socio-economic and educational starting points. This context is important for parents, educators, and policymakers when interpreting these league tables and considering interventions to support all learners.
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Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
The narrative is based on the Department for Education’s (DfE) release of preliminary key stage 4 performance data for the 2024/25 academic year, published on 16th October 2025. This is the earliest known publication date for this specific data. The report is original and not recycled from other sources. The shift from Progress 8 to Attainment 8 scores is a recent development, indicating high freshness. No discrepancies in figures, dates, or quotes were found. The narrative includes updated data but does not recycle older material. No similar content appeared more than 7 days earlier. The report is based on a press release from the DfE, which typically warrants a high freshness score. ([explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk](https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/key-stage-4-performance/2024-25?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative does not contain any direct quotes. All information is paraphrased from the DfE’s press release and other reputable sources.
Source reliability
Score:
10
Notes:
The narrative originates from the Yorkshire Post, a reputable UK newspaper. The DfE’s press release serves as the primary source, further enhancing reliability.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
The claims made in the narrative are plausible and supported by the DfE’s official data. The shift from Progress 8 to Attainment 8 scores is a recent and well-documented change. The narrative provides specific figures and names of top-performing schools, which are consistent with the DfE’s data. The language and tone are appropriate for the topic and region. There is no excessive or off-topic detail, and the tone is consistent with typical educational reporting.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
The narrative is based on the DfE’s recent press release, providing original and fresh information about the top-performing secondary schools in England for the 2024/25 academic year. The content is accurate, with no discrepancies found, and is supported by data from reputable sources. The language and tone are appropriate, and the narrative does not exhibit signs of disinformation.
