One week ‘til KS2 results day.

Assessment matters. But high-stakes accountability can turn it into performance theatre. The issue is not individual teachers or schools. It is a system that rewards threshold focus and public signals over diagnostic use. We should protect assessment by lowering the stakes around it.

From Insight data, it looks like there’s going to be a big increase in % achieving full marks in MTC. 37% last year; probably over 40% this year.

Hot off the press: The 2026 phonics screening check threshold mark is.... 31! www.gov.uk/government/p...

For the first time since its implementation in 2012, the phonics pass mark has changed. For 2026, the expected standard is 31/40 or more www.gov.uk/government/p...

*NEW POST* primary school progress measures are back this year so here’s a reminder of how they work. Includes a link to download my VA calculator tool, to help you model it. www.insightinform.co.uk/2026/05/11/t...

Having to bring your bin back in because you forgot about the bank holiday rescheduling feels like a domestic walk of shame #dadisland

*NEW POST* Absolute vs Relative Assessment. www.insightinform.co.uk/2026/04/10/a...

Amazing couple of days walking coast path in North Cornwall

*NEW POST* Absolute vs Relative Assessment. www.insightinform.co.uk/2026/04/10/a...

Pleased to see that the confusing multi year and individual year bar charts have been ditched in the IDSR. New format is much clearer.

If you’re an @insighthq.bsky.social user, you can book a consultancy call Mon-Thurs mornings to discuss assessment data and how to make best use of the system. Popular topics include SEND, EYFS, standardised tests, and progress. Book via Insight help menu (Insight Inform surgery)

Ran a couple of Databusters’ sessions last night. It was great to be back in a room spreading the message about effective and proportionate use of school data. If you’re interested in organising an event in your area, please get in touch. Beige buffet guaranteed. 🥪

We're really excited to announce that @insighthq.bsky.social @jpembroke.bsky.social @richardselfridge.bsky.social will be running their 'Databusting Surrey with the Educakers' event with us in June. Have a look at the link below for more information. We'd love to meet so many of you in person!

Schools will no longer be publicly compared to the national 'average' for their progress scores in a proposed overhaul of government league tables https://schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-wants-to-ditch-average-labels-for-school-progress-scores/

Thanks @richardselfridge.bsky.social for sending this. Proposed change to DfE performance bands, away from confidence interval-based approach to a simpler quintile method. Whether it gives useful info is another matter schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-wants-to...

Expected Standard descriptor for Early Years, p60 of Ofsted Toolkit. In absence of EYFSP data in IDSR and without any statistical analysis of outcomes, how do inspectors judge if GLD is ‘broadly in line with national averages’? assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/690b26...

Nordic combined is the Winter Olympics equivalent of key cutting and shoe repair.

Join @jpembroke.bsky.social and me as we look under the hood of the IDSR in the latest Insight Inform podcast. www.insightinform.co.uk/podcast/ Please listen, comment and repost!

They should also consider adding the number of pupils to the results section of the report card for all schools. Without the actual numbers, the percentages are meaningless. Any more than 6 pupils and it’s published. Gap data especially problematic. www.insightinform.co.uk/2026/02/05/p...

Ofsted is considering removing national data comparators for special schools from its report cards, following concerns that labelling them 'well below average' for pupil numbers could confuse and mislead parents https://schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-reviews-data-shown-in-special-school-report-cards/

*DATABUSTERS LIVE* Join us in beautiful Derbyshire. Details below.

*NEW POST* 2nd in our series on the new IDSR. This one on making sense of gaps by converting to pupil equivalent number www.insightinform.co.uk/2026/02/05/p...

*DATABUSTERS DERBYSHIRE* join me and Richard in Ashover for a whole day of databusting www.insightinform.co.uk/event/databu...

In order to allow myself to watch the supposedly legendary final scene of 28 Years Later: Bone Temple, I am watching the films in order. 28 Weeks Later is such a pile of stinky pants.

*DATABUSTERS DERBYSHIRE* tickets now available for the first of our Databusters days. Join us in beautiful Ashover on the edge of the Peak for a whole day of data fun. Morning focused on accountability/IDSR; afternoon on assessment, tracking, reporting. www.insightinform.co.uk/event/databu...

I cancelled Disney+ and now they bring the Muppets back. FFS.

*DATABUSTERS DERBYSHIRE* tickets now available for the first of our Databusters days. Join us in beautiful Ashover on the edge of the Peak for a whole day of data fun. Morning focused on accountability/IDSR; afternoon on assessment, tracking, reporting. www.insightinform.co.uk/event/databu...

As Ofsted published its first full report cards for schools, leaders have shared their views on the new inspection and grading regime. Here's what they had to say... schoolsweek.co.uk/ofsted-publi...

The Databusters are getting the band back together and going on the road with a new one-day course: AM: external data: IDSR, ASP, performance measures PM: internal data: TA, tests, SEND, reporting to parents/govs @insighthq.bsky.social schools, get in touch if you’re interested

The new Ofsted report cards are out. From a data point of view, i’m concerned about publishing disadvantaged attainment gaps without further context. Not even number of pupils. Good to know what % gaps equate to in real terms. reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspection-r...

School Inspection FAQs educationinspection.blog.gov.uk/2025/12/11/s...

A really useful read & something we've been grappling with recently as the number of children with SEND increases in our school. We want to be able to accurately reflect & celebrate the achievements & progress of all of our children &, as @jpembroke.bsky.social says, labelled bands don't do this.

*NEW POST* Tracking the progress of pupils with SEND. When it comes to SEND, especially those pupils working below ‘age-related expectations’ we have to be really careful about the data we use. www.insightinform.co.uk/2025/12/12/t...

The 2025 MTC results are now out. The big question is: why does it take 5 months to publish the results of an online test (taken in June). explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statist...

Here’s an interesting IDSR thing. Disadvantaged gap grows from 16 to 17pp and classed as widening. However, in terms of no. of pupils gap equates to, it’s actually shrunk from 7 to 6 (ie no. of pupils required to achieve EXS to close gap to national non-dis). Helps to show gap as pupil equivalent.

How baby oranges are made

First post-surgery walk up the hill. Ankle grumpy but still in one piece.

@richardselfridge.bsky.social and I will be organising some of our awesome Databusters events to look at IDSR, performance measures, and use of assessment data in schools. Watch this space for dates.

Looking at an IDSR that shows ‘significant increase’ in results between 2023 and 2024, and yet the consecutive confidence intervals overlap. Can’t find guidance on trend calculation. Is it based on SDs? That’s how ⬇️⬆️ were calculated in previous IDSR.

Good to see 3 year averages in the new IDSR. Particularly important for small schools and their typically spiky data.

New IDSR is out Sample here: idsr.ofsted.gov.uk/exampleprimary Thoughts?

*calling all Insight users* we have some new filter options for you: ‘match any’ and custom filters. Really useful for identifying pupils that match any of a number of variables. We know that Ofsted are focusing on vulnerable pupils/barriers to learning, and hopefully these new features will help.

Scenes from The Wall

I’m enjoying Bluesky. I’ve had some nice chats and not seen a single video of someone being violently assaulted.

Worth remembering when using teacher assessment to monitor standards within and between schools, that a human opinion is not a standard unit of measurement.

Two months on from ankle surgery. Man, I miss running.

Man goes into a bakers. “Can I have a loaf of sourdough please?” “Spelt?” “S-O-U-R-D-O-U-G-H” Thank you. I’m here all week.

Firing up the slow cooker

I like it when an article gives area in hectares, and then acres in brackets as if either of those means anything to anybody. Just give us it in standard units of Wales and football pitches.