Calculating primary progress scores

Understand how primary progress measures are calculated, where you can access your progress scores and what they mean. Be clear on how the publication of this data continues to be affected by the pandemic.

Last reviewed on 11 August 2023
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School types: All · School phases: Primary
Ref: 5964
Contents
  1. In a nutshell: what are primary progress measures?
  2. Impact of the pandemic on performance data
  3. How pupils' progress scores are calculated
  4. How your school's progress scores are calculated
  5. Access your progress scores via ASP
  6. Interpret your school’s provisional progress score

This article is based on the DfE's technical guide to primary school accountability measures.

In a nutshell: what are primary progress measures?

  • They aim to capture the progress that pupils in your school make from the end of Key Stage (KS) 1 to KS2 (i.e. the end of primary school)
  • Pupils’ results at KS2 are compared nationally to the actual achievements of other pupils with similar prior attainment
  • They're school-level accountability measures, meaning that individual pupil scores are used only to calculate your school's overall progress scores. You shouldn't share individual pupil progress scores with pupils or parents/carers

Impact of the pandemic on performance data

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, KS2 tests and assessments didn't take place in 2019/20 or 2020/21, and resumed again in 2021/22.

2018/19 2019/20 2020/21 2021/22 2022/23 2023/24 and 2024/25 2025/26 and 2026/27 2027/28 This KS2 data will continue to be publicly available, but the