What does Progress 8 measure for pupils in secondary schools?

• A. The final GCSE results achieved by each pupil.
• B. The progress a pupil makes from the end of primary to the end of secondary, compared with peers with the same prior attainment.
• C. The school's overall attendance rate.
• D. Teachers’ performance assessments across subjects.

Answer: (B)

Progress 8 is a value-added measure that looks at how much a pupil progresses from the end of primary school to the end of secondary school, comparing each pupil’s progress with others who started with similar attainment. It focuses on improvement rather than just final grades, so it shows how effectively a school helps students move forward given where they began. The other options describe different things: final GCSE results capture absolute grades, not how much progress was made; attendance rate is about how often students attend; and teachers’ performance assessments relate to teacher judgments rather than the national progress metric.