FFT Education Datalab

“Fair banding” schools - FFT Education Datalab In collaboration with TES magazine last year, we analysed the characteristics of pupils in schools which used banding tests in their admissions processes. Here we set out our full methodology and findings.

NEW: “Fair banding” schools

In collaboration with TES magazine last year, we analysed the characteristics of pupils in schools which used banding tests in their admissions processes. Here we set out our full methodology and findings.

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The national FSM rate has been increasing in recent years as a result of the transitional protections for UC. Are you sure Figure 5 is not just showing that?

Are DfE right to ditch confidence intervals? - FFT Education Datalab DfE are proposing a change to the way they calculate bandings that summarise schools' progress scores. We look at the pros and cons of doing so.

We had a bit of a look at this yesterday ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2026/02/are-...

Are DfE right to ditch confidence intervals? - FFT Education Datalab DfE are proposing a change to the way they calculate bandings that summarise schools' progress scores. We look at the pros and cons of doing so.

NEW: Are DfE right to ditch confidence intervals?

DfE are proposing a change to the way they calculate bandings that summarise schools' progress scores. We look at the pros and cons of doing so.

vist.ly/4ssyj

Subject pupil level characteristic data, Data set from Key stage 4 performance Find, download and explore official Department for Education (DfE) statistics and data in England.

Try this for starters explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-catalog...

Schools white paper: The key SEND reform policies DfE documents finally flesh out proposed 'layered' approach

Pupils’ special educational needs will be met through a new layered system of support, with education, health and care plans reserved for only the most complex cases

Here's what you need to know...

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-white-paper-the-key-send-reform-policies/

Big day today - we will finally find out the details of the government’s SEND reforms (following the drip, drip over the last few weeks).

Follow @schoolsweek.bsky.social for what you need to know later this morning - and full analysis throughout the week.

#SEND #schoolswhitepaper

DfE reveals £4bn SEND reform spending plan Schools will get access to £1.6bn inclusion funding and ‘Experts at Hand’ as part of the government’s long-awaited SEND reforms

Schools will get access to a new £1.6bn inclusion fund and a bank of specialists in their local area, the government announced tonight, as part of a £4bn spending plan for SEND reform

Turn data into direction with #FFTAspirePupilTracking and track progress from KS3-5.

📊 Benchmark: FFT’s 2025 national figures, FFT & CAT4 estimates
↔️ Subject attainment & progress
✅ Results, prior attainment & context

Join our #KS5 focused webinar 👇
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A-level completion rates - FFT Education Datalab We calculate the proportion of A-level students who complete their chosen qualification, and explore how this varies by subject and prior attainment

NEW POST: A-level completion rates

We calculate the proportion of A-level students who complete their chosen qualification, and explore how this varies by subject and prior attainment.

vist.ly/4qaj4

FFT Attendance Tracker is now updated with the latest school and national weekly attendance data up to Friday 30 January 2026.

View your school's attendance. 🔍
👇
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#attendancematters #education

FFT Attendance Tracker is now updated with the latest school and national weekly attendance data up to Friday 23 January 2026.

View your school's attendance. 🔍
👇
vist.ly/4p7mu

#attendancematters #education

How ADR England’s Community Catalysts can help shape your fellowship proposal If you’re planning to apply for our funding opportunity for ADR UK Research Fellowships, you might be looking for ways to make your proposal impactful. Karen...

Latest blog by @adr-uk.bsky.social on their research fellowships & how our research agenda can support. Karen Powell "...aligning your proposal with these research agendas means your work will address high-priority evidence gaps endorsed by a wide range of stakeholders." More:

How ADR England’s Community Catalysts can help shape your fellowship proposal If you’re planning to apply for our funding opportunity for ADR UK Research Fellowships, you might be looking for ways to make your proposal impactful. Karen...

Interested in applying for a research fellowship using admin datasets, like the National Pupil Database and LEO? Have a look at this blog for some guidance on how to shape your proposal.

vist.ly/4nvpw

CEPEO ADRUK - Introduction to the National Pupil Database Join us for this online course offering a more detailed intro to the NPD for those wanting maximum insight into its constituent datasets

🤓The @cepeo-ucl.bsky.social team of data experts is running two admin training courses in February!

First, we have an online course for those who wish to learn more about the National Pupil Database

Feb 10 and Feb 11 at 9.30am GMT

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cepeo-adru...

7 year after becoming Professor… it’s my inaugural lecture!

Improving the life chances of disadvantaged young people: how do we break down barriers to opportunity?

Thursday 12 March, 5.15pm

Room G06, Roberts Building
Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE

Book your place here:
bit.ly/life_chances

Pupil absence in Autumn Term 2025/26 - FFT Education Datalab A summary of patterns in pupil attendance across Autumn Term this year, including the impact of an unusually early flu season

NEW POST: Pupil absence in Autumn Term 2025/26

A summary of patterns in pupil attendance across Autumn Term this year, including the impact of an unusually early flu season.

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FFT Regional Attendance Tracker is updated with the latest national & regional attendance. 📊

View the latest data here
👇
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#attendance #attendancematters #education

A new year reminder we're (@smfthinktank.bsky.social and @suttontrust.bsky.social) looking for case studies of successful relationships between schools and early years provision - that can be a nursery inside of a school, or local providers with strong links ⬇️

Interested in our research? Sign up to our mailing list to receive blogposts and reports as they come out. vist.ly/4izwy Interested in our research? Sign up to our mailing list to receive blogposts and reports as they come out. vist.ly/4izwy

Interested in our research? Sign up to our mailing list to receive blogposts and reports as they come out.

vist.ly/4izwy

Schools Like Yours - FFT Education Datalab Schools Like Yours - FFT Education Datalab

📣 UPDATE: The latest KS2 attainment data has now been added to Schools Like Yours.

Our free Schools Like Yours tool is designed to help you benchmark your school against a group of similar schools, where you get to choose how similar is defined.

vist.ly/4i9mj

No, unfortunately. This was the first time we’d tried gathering the predictions at scale.

Not sure I’ve seen anything for the post-AS era but this looked at predictions before the reforms discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10...

Predicted grades match results for less than half of KS4 students But average grades match results ‘quite closely’ across subject cohorts as a whole, FFT analysis also shows

Predicted grades match actual results for less than half of KS4 students, but average grades match results ‘quite closely’ across subject cohorts, @fftedudatalab.bsky.social analysis shows

Are predicted grades accurate?

This wonderful blog from @fftedudatalab.bsky.social explores the question, and my takehome is that *on average* they might be, but for an individual student it's pretty much guesswork.

Well worth a read.

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2025/12/pred...

Prediction accuracy at Key Stage 4 - FFT Education Datalab Using predicted grades and results submitted by 740 schools, we explore differences between predicted and actual grades, including variations by subject

NEW POST: Prediction accuracy at Key Stage 4

Using predicted grades and results submitted by 740 schools, we explore differences between predicted and actual grades, including variations by subject.

vist.ly/4hxx7

FFT Attendance Tracker is now updated with the latest school and national weekly attendance data up to Friday 05 December 2025.

View your school's attendance. 🔍
👇
vist.ly/4hspa

#attendancematters #education

Why one word can break your research – and why AI won’t help. A cautionary tale from PISA - FFT Education Datalab We look at how one small change in wording to just one PISA survey question has big implications for anyone using PISA to understand unexcused absences from school.

Finally, this really fascinating look at how one minor wording change really messed up PISA data by John Jerrim at @fftedudatalab.bsky.social.

ffteducationdatalab.org.uk/2025/12/why-...