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FFT Education Datalab
@fftedudatalab.bsky.social
FFT Education Datalab produces independent, cutting-edge research on education policy and practice.
Pinned
Our analysis of GCSE results day 2025 is now out.

🔸 Grades are up very slightly from last year
🔸 The gender gap in grading is closing
🔸 Entries to triple science are down and double up
🔸 Re-take entries are up, but grades remain low

vist.ly/445pr
GCSE results 2025: The main trends in grades and entries - FFT Education Datalab
Our round-up of everything you need to know about this year's GCSE results.
ffteducationdatalab.org.uk
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
FFT Attendance Tracker is now updated with the latest school and national weekly attendance data up to Friday 7 November 2025.

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

#attendancematters #education
November 11, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
Great article from Peter Urwin on the challenges of getting NEET young people into education/training/work pathways that make sense.

England’s plans to get more young people working or studying don’t go far enough – employment expert
theconversation.com/englands-pla...
England’s plans to get more young people working or studying don’t go far enough – employment expert
Too many young people in England reach age 16 with poor qualifications.
theconversation.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:18 PM
The number of 16 to 24-year-olds in England who are not in education, employment or training (Neet) currently stands at nearly one million.

The government set out a range of initiatives to help them in their recent white paper. But do they go far enough?

theconversation.com/englands-pla...
England’s plans to get more young people working or studying don’t go far enough – employment expert
Too many young people in England reach age 16 with poor qualifications.
theconversation.com
November 6, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
🧵 The curriculum and assessment review has been published – here, @cerysturner.bsky.social rounds up the main recommendations, including scrapping the EBacc and making triple science accessible to all at GCSE (1/3)
Curriculum and assessment review: 14 key points
The Francis review’s final recommendations include scrapping the EBacc, reducing exam time and making triple science available to all at GCSE
www.tes.com
November 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
Breaking: The government is proposing sweeping reforms to progress 8, the main league table measure for secondary schools, in a bid to boost arts take-up – and will ditch the EBacc from this academic year

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/dfe-ignores-francis-review-and-proposes-sweeping-progress-8-reform/
November 5, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
The government will introduce a new national curriculum from 2028, scrap the EBacc league table measure, make citizenship compulsory in primary schools and force all secondaries to offer triple science GCSE

https://schoolsweek.co.uk/new-curriculum-to-be-introduced-in-2028-as-review-published/
November 5, 2025 at 7:10 AM
NEW: What will it take to meet the government’s ambition for 90% of pupils to achieve the expected standard in Year 1 phonics?

80% of pupils currently achieve the phonics standard by the end of Year 1. We look at how challenging it will be to reach 90%.

vist.ly/4csjb
What will it take to meet the government’s ambition for 90% of pupils to achieve the expected standard in Year 1 phonics? - FFT Education Datalab
80% of pupils currently achieve the phonics standard by the end of Year 1. We look at how challenging it will be to reach 90%.
ffteducationdatalab.org.uk
November 4, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Want to stay up-to-date with the latest research from Datalab? Sign up to our mailing list here.

vist.ly/4bv2g
Want to stay up-to-date with the latest research from Datalab? Sign up to our mailing list here. vist.ly/4bv2g
Want to stay up-to-date with the latest research from Datalab? Sign up to our mailing list here. vist.ly/4bv2g
ffteducationdatalab.org.uk
October 27, 2025 at 4:26 PM
NEW: Has gender balance in A-Level physics improved?

This summer, 24% of those entering A-Level physics exams were female. Physics still has the second lowest percentage of female entrants of all A-Levels. - but that's the highest percentage for at least the last twenty years.

vist.ly/4bft7
Has gender balance in A-Level physics improved? - FFT Education Datalab
We look at whether A-Level physics is becoming more popular with female students.
ffteducationdatalab.org.uk
October 23, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
One platform. One experience. For one consistent approach.

#AspirePupilTracking for Secondary Schools makes it easy for teachers to get the insights they need — fast.

Hear what schools have to say:
🔗 vist.ly/4baj8
October 22, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
Read the full story on the White Paper delay here ⬇️
October 22, 2025 at 2:09 PM
NEW POST: Making sense of school performance data in 2025

This year's published secondary school performance data shows why Progress 8 (or something like it) is needed, despite its flaws.

vist.ly/4amsj
Making sense of school performance data in 2025 - FFT Education Datalab
This year's published secondary school performance data shows why Progress 8 (or something like it) is needed, despite its flaws
ffteducationdatalab.org.uk
October 16, 2025 at 1:23 PM
Our Schools Like Yours site has now been updated with the latest Key Stage 4 attainment data.

🔗 vist.ly/4amnv
October 16, 2025 at 12:52 PM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
I saw reports on this yesterday but none of them mentioned what to me is the *key* point on the Yr 8 tests. It will look at “reading fluency and comprehension.” I think reading fluency has been neglected so quite excited / interested to see it included here. #EduSky

www.gov.uk/government/n...
Focus on reading in secondary years to drive up standards
Education Secretary confirms all pupils will sit a mandatory reading test at age 13 to drive up reading standards.
www.gov.uk
October 16, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
📍 We’re exhibiting at the CST Annual Conference 2025 Flourishing!

Stop by our stand to see how #AspirePupilTracking helps schools & trusts make well informed decisions with instant insights, seamless MIS integration & powerful progress tracking. 🙋📊

#CSTConf25 #MATs
October 16, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
Severe pupil absence is a growing problem but it is not as bad as official DfE data suggests, according to an @fftedudatalab.bsky.social study
Severe school absence 'overstated' in England
Although severe pupil absence is a growing problem since the pandemic, the scale of issue is not as bad as official DfE data suggests, according to a study
www.tes.com
October 15, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
📖 New Working Paper

"Measuring systematic gaps in teacher judgement: A new approach"

😷 We use the Covid-19 induced cancellation of exams, where teachers assigned student grades & rankings within grade

econpapers.repec.org/paper/uclcep...

@opmc1.bsky.social @gillwyness.bsky.social Rich Murphy
October 14, 2025 at 8:54 AM
NEW: How many pupils really are severely absent?

Is it right to say that there were over 170 thousand children who were severely absent in 2023/24?

vist.ly/4acg9
How many pupils really are severely absent? - FFT Education Datalab
Is it right to say that there were over 170 thousand children who were severely absent in 2023/24?
ffteducationdatalab.org.uk
October 14, 2025 at 9:01 AM
NEW: What will be the impact of the Curriculum and Assessment Review on subject take-up at KS4?

With the publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review imminent, we look at the extent to which schools offer different subjects at KS4 and how entry patterns have been changing

vist.ly/49tex
What will be the impact of the Curriculum and Assessment Review on subject take-up at Key Stage 4? - FFT Education Datalab
With the publication of the Curriculum and Assessment Review imminent, we look at the extent to which schools offer different subjects at Key Stage 4, and how entry patterns have been changing in the last few years
ffteducationdatalab.org.uk
October 9, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Want to stay up-to-date with the latest research from Datalab? Sign up to our mailing list here.

buff.ly/4gJCvGv
October 8, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
FFT Attendance Tracker is now updated with the latest school and national weekly attendance data up to Friday 3 October 2025.

View your school's attendance. 🔍
👇
vist.ly/49k5s

#attendancematters #education
October 7, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
Join our free discovery webinar next week to find out how schools are transforming #phonics outcomes with FFT.

✅ Explore Success for All Phonics
✅ See our suite of included resources
✅ Learn how we support assessment

Sign up
👇
Wed 8 Oct (12:00) ➡️ vist.ly/4882g
September 26, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
A new @fftedu.bsky.social report outlines why early reading work is key to spotting and supporting pupils with SEND to ensure they do not fall behind at the start of their school journey
Why early reading work is vital to spot and support pupils with SEND
We must ensure that a focus on reading help is not lost amid SEND debates and reform proposals, argues Mike Fischer
www.tes.com
September 23, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Reposted by FFT Education Datalab
What about white working-class girls? The attainment of disadvantaged white girls isn’t much better than for the boys, yet the struggles they are facing are being overlooked, school leaders warn
How the system forgot about white working-class girls
While the underachievement of white working-class boys has attracted political attention, the struggles of disadvantaged white girls continue to be overlooked. School leaders tell Tes why this needs to change
www.tes.com
September 25, 2025 at 5:05 AM