What’s the Difference Between Attainment and Progress?

Published

4 November 2025

Contents

If you've ever wondered about the difference between attainment and progress, you're not alone. These two terms are fundamental to understanding pupil performance, yet they're often confused or used interchangeably – even though they measure entirely different things.

Early in my career as head of physics, I remember sitting in a department meeting feeling genuinely confused when our assistant head praised us for ‘excellent progress’ while simultaneously expressing concern about our ‘attainment gap.’ I understood both terms individually, but how they worked together wasn't clear to me at all.

It turns out they measure fundamentally different things – and understanding the distinction transformed how I approached teaching, target-setting, and supporting individual students. Through my years in leadership and now mentoring teachers, I've realised that many colleagues share that same initial confusion. The terms get used interchangeably in staffroom conversations, but they represent very different aspects of pupil achievement.

In this article, I'll explain exactly what attainment and progress mean, why the distinction matters for your classroom practice and Ofsted preparation, and how to use both measures effectively to support your pupils.

Whether you're interpreting school data, planning interventions, or explaining outcomes to parents, this clarity will help you make better-informed decisions.

Key Takeaways

Attainment measures where pupils are now (the standard reached at a point in time)
Progress measures how far pupils have travelled (improvement from their starting point)
High attainment doesn't automatically mean good progress, and vice versa
Ofsted focuses particularly on progress data for all groups of pupils
Both measures are essential for effective teaching, target-setting, and intervention planning

Definitions: What Is Attainment? What Is Progress?

What Is Attainment?

Attainment is simply the standard a pupil reaches at a specific point in time. It's a snapshot - where they are right now compared to an expected benchmark or grade.

Think of attainment like checking someone's height. If you measure a Year 11 student today and they're 173 cm, that's their height – a fixed measurement at this moment. Similarly, if a GCSE student achieves a grade 7 in physics, that's their attainment – the level they've reached at the end of their course.

Attainment is summative and outcome-based. Examples include:

A grade 5 in GCSE English
Achieving the expected standard at Key Stage 2 SATs
A Year 9 student working at ‘developing’ in their school's assessment framework
An A-level grade B in mathematics

Attainment tells you what level a pupil has reached, but it doesn't tell you anything about their journey to get there. A student might achieve a grade 5 after working incredibly hard from a low starting point, or they might achieve that same grade despite coasting from a much higher baseline.

The attainment score looks identical, but the stories are completely different. This is why we need progress measures alongside attainment data.

What Is Progress?

Progress measures the amount of improvement a pupil makes from a prior starting point. It's about growth - how far they've travelled, not where they've ended up.

Going back to our height analogy: if that same student was 158 cm last year and is now 173 cm, they've grown 15 cm. That's their progress – the change over time. Similarly, if a GCSE student had a Key Stage 2 prior attainment average of 103* and achieved a grade 8 in GCSE physics, that represents significant progress because they've improved considerably from their starting point.

*[Note: KS2 scaled scores run 80 -120, with 100 = expected standard.]

Progress is relative to each individual pupil's baseline. It reflects the value that education has added to their learning journey.

This is why we talk about ‘value-added’ measures in schools. We're trying to understand how much progress pupils have made beyond what we might have expected based on their starting points.

The key insight here is that progress and attainment don't always align. You can have:

High attainment with low progress: A high-attaining student who achieves grade 8 but was expected to achieve grade 9 based on their prior attainment
Low attainment with high progress: A student with significant learning needs who achieves grade 3 but was only expected to achieve grade 2, showing excellent progress from their starting point

Key Differences Between Attainment and Progress

Here are my key distinctions between attainment and progress:

Feature	Attainment	Progress
What it shows	Outcome – the standard reached	Improvement – how much growth occurred
Who it favours	High achievers who reach top grades	Any pupil who improves, regardless of starting point
Timeframe	Fixed point in time (e.g., end of Year 11)	Measured across time (e.g., Year 7 to Year 11)
Measured by	Standardised grades, levels, or benchmarks	Comparison to baseline or expected progress models
What it tells teachers	Where pupils currently are	How far pupils have come
Limitations	Doesn't show effort or improvement	Can be affected by inaccurate baseline data

Understanding this table has helped colleagues I've mentored to interpret their data more effectively. When your head of department discusses data, listen for which measure they're actually referring to - it changes what the numbers mean.

Why the Difference Matters in Schools

Teaching and Differentiation

Understanding the distinction between attainment and progress is genuinely useful for classroom practice. I learned this lesson when I had a Year 13 physics student - let's call her Maya - who consistently achieved high grades but showed minimal progress from her excellent GCSEs.

Meanwhile, another student, Tom, was achieving much lower grades but making remarkable progress from a very low starting point.

Initially, I celebrated Maya and worried about Tom. But when I looked at progress data, I realised I had it backwards.

Maya was coasting; Tom was thriving. This realisation changed how I differentiated my teaching and where I focused my intervention time.

The key insight: high attainment does not automatically mean good progress, and vice versa. You need to look at both measures to understand the full picture of each pupil's learning journey.

When planning interventions, consider these four scenarios:

Low attainment, low progress: These pupils need urgent support – they're behind and not catching up
Low attainment, high progress: These pupils are improving well; continue supporting their trajectory
High attainment, low progress: These pupils may be coasting and need greater challenge
High attainment, high progress: These pupils are excelling; ensure they're stretched appropriately

Ofsted and School Accountability

Ofsted (opens in a new tab) is particularly interested in how all groups of pupils make progress, not just overall attainment levels. During inspections, they'll look at progress data for disadvantaged pupils, SEND students, different ethnic groups, and other key cohorts.

Inspectors won’t examine your internal tracking data; they use published performance data as a starting point and focus on the curriculum and what pupils know and can do.

I remember teaching at a school that had impressive headline attainment figures but concerning progress data for disadvantaged students. The school's high attainment masked the fact that some groups weren't making sufficient progress from their starting points. Ofsted rightly challenged this during inspection.

In secondary schools, you'll hear about Progress 8 and Attainment 8 - two headline accountability measures:

What is Attainment 8?

Attainment 8 measures average achievement (points) across up to 8 qualifications. The eight subjects are:

English (double-weighted if both language and literature are taken)
Maths (double-weighted)
Three EBacc subjects (English Baccalaureate: sciences, computer science, geography, history, and languages)
Three other subjects from any approved GCSE or equivalent qualifications

It's purely about outcomes - what grades pupils achieved.

What is Progress 8?

Progress 8 compares pupils' actual Attainment 8 scores with the average scores of pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment at Key Stage 2. A Progress 8 score of 0 means pupils made average progress.

Positive scores indicate above-average progress; negative scores indicate below-average progress.

Schools can have high Attainment 8 (lots of top grades) but low Progress 8 (pupils didn't progress as much as expected). Conversely, schools with lower Attainment 8 might have excellent Progress 8 because they've added significant value to their pupils' learning.

Note that there is no published Progress 8 for GCSE cohorts who finished in 2025 and those finishing in 2026 because their KS2 baselines don’t exist (due to KS2 tests being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic disruption).

Attainment 8 will still be published.

Setting Targets and Tracking Pupil Performance

Understanding the difference between attainment and progress changes how you set targets. When I was head of sixth form, I learned to set two types of targets for each student:

For example:

Attainment target: ‘Based on your GCSE grades, you should be aiming for grade B in A-level physics.’

Progress targets: ‘To show good progress, you need to demonstrate improvement from your baseline assessment in these specific areas.’

Effective tracking requires accurate baseline assessments. If your baseline data is wrong, your progress measures become meaningless.

This is why Key Stage 2 data matters so much for secondary schools - it's the starting point for measuring five years of progress.

I always encourage colleagues to maintain their own classroom-level tracking that complements whole-school data. Know where each pupil started the year, where they are now, and where they need to be by year end.

This helps you identify who's on track, who's exceeding expectations, and who needs additional support. You can use resources like revision notes and mock exams to establish clear baseline assessments and track improvement over time

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Ofsted evaluate attainment and progress?

Ofsted looks at both measures, but they're particularly focused on progress because it shows the impact of teaching and learning over time. They'll examine progress data for different groups of pupils, looking for patterns or gaps.

They'll also consider contextual factors - for example, whether low attainment reflects the school's intake or inadequate progress.

During deep dives and conversations with leaders, they'll ask how you track progress and what you do when pupils aren't making sufficient progress from their starting points. Inspectors won’t examine your internal tracking data; they use published performance data as a starting point and focus on the curriculum and what pupils know and can do.

Can a pupil have high progress and low attainment?

Yes, absolutely. This is common for pupils with SEND or those who started from a very low baseline.

For example, a Year 11 student might achieve grade 3 in GCSE maths (relatively low attainment) but if they were working well below age-related expectations in Year 7, that grade 3 might represent excellent progress.

These pupils deserve recognition for their improvement, not just comparison to national benchmarks. This is why progress measures are so important for celebrating the achievements of all learners.

What are Progress 8 and Attainment 8?

Progress 8 and Attainment 8 (opens in a new tab)are the headline accountability measures for secondary schools in England, based on GCSE results.

Attainment 8 measures the average grade pupils achieve across eight subjects:

English (double-weighted if language and literature are taken, so counts twice)
Maths (double-weighted, so counts twice)
Three EBacc subjects: these must be from sciences, computer science, geography, history, or languages
Three other subjects from any approved GCSE or equivalent qualifications

Progress 8 compares these results with national averages for pupils with similar Key Stage 2 starting points. A Progress 8 score above 0 means pupils made better than average progress.

A score below 0 means less than average progress.

So, a school might have high Attainment 8 (lots of grade 7s and above) but a Progress 8 score of -0.2 if pupils didn't progress as much as expected from their Key Stage 2 results.

How can I track both in my classroom?

Start with clear baseline data for every pupil. This might be prior key stage data, internal assessments, or diagnostic tests at the start of the year.

Create a simple tracking spreadsheet with columns for: baseline data, current working grade/level, target grade, and progress indicator (on track / above / below expected progress). Update this termly after assessment points.

The key is consistency. Track the same measures across time so you can spot patterns and intervene early when progress stalls.

You can use tools like exam questions and past papers to assess attainment at regular intervals.

What data do I need to show both to inspectors?

Inspectors will want to see how you track pupil progress over time, not just current attainment. Be prepared to discuss: baseline assessments, ongoing formative assessment, summative outcomes, and most importantly, what actions you take when pupils aren't making expected progress.

They're less interested in the specific tracking system you use and more interested in whether you know your pupils, understand who's progressing well, and can explain your interventions for those who aren't.

Final Thoughts

Understanding the difference between attainment and progress has genuinely changed how I think about teaching and pupil outcomes. It's shifted my focus from obsessing over grade boundaries to celebrating genuine growth and improvement.

Both measures offer valuable but different insights into pupil learning. Attainment tells you where pupils are – essential for ensuring they leave with qualifications that open doors to their futures. Progress tells you how far they've travelled – essential for understanding teaching effectiveness and ensuring all pupils, regardless of starting point, receive an education that adds real value.

I encourage you to reflect on how you use both measures in your practice. When you're celebrating successes, do you only recognise the top grades, or do you also celebrate the student who's made exceptional progress from a low baseline?

When you're planning interventions, do you focus solely on pupils below target grades, or do you also challenge high attainers who aren't making expected progress?

Perhaps most importantly, this distinction underpins a growth mindset approach to education. Progress measures remind us that education isn't just about sorting pupils into attainment bands.

It's about helping every young person move forward from wherever they start. That Year 7 student struggling with basic concepts can make just as much progress, and deserve just as much celebration, as the naturally gifted student achieving top grades.

The beauty of progress measures is that they make education fairer. They recognise that pupils start from different places and that good teaching helps all pupils improve, not just reach arbitrary grade boundaries.

When you understand this distinction, you can have more meaningful conversations with pupils about their learning, set more appropriate targets, and feel confident that you're supporting every student to achieve their potential – not just their predicted grade.