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What not to do with pupil performance data

Understand the limitations of performance data, in line with Ofsted's advice. See some common data practices that you could stop doing and other strategies to use instead, to identify what your pupils know and drive down teacher workload.

Last reviewed on 4 June 2025
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 35406
Contents
  1. Get stakeholders on board with data changes
  2. Ofsted expects a ‘proportionate’ amount of data collection
  3. Don't try to make precise predictions of pupil outcomes
  4. Don't use flightpaths to track pupil performance
  5. Don't try to predict progress 8 scores
  6. Don't expect too much of assessment data
  7. Avoid analysing yearly data for very small groups

Get stakeholders on board with data changes

We know it can be hard to follow best practice, especially when your school community can be sceptical or wary of any changes to how you collect and use pupil performance data.

Refer them to the Teacher Workload Advisory Group’s report, making data work, which sets out recommendations and principles to reduce the unnecessary workload from data collection  Discuss assessment at your next governing board meeting. If you’ve given teachers in a department or year group time to review their assessment system (read more on this below), discuss their findings with your board  Explain your approach to parents/carers, in a way you think they'll best respond to. For example, you could send a letter, using the evidence in this article to back up your approach, or hold a forum to explain your approach in