Education News: League Table Shake-Up and the 2026 Rankings

Two developments are reshaping how parents read school performance this month: a government plan to change how progress scores are reported, and a 2026 league table in which state schools have closed ground on the private sector.

DfE moves to scrap the 'average' label on progress scores

The Department for Education has proposed dropping the practice of comparing each school against the national average for progress. Instead, schools would be grouped into bands, for example one of five quintiles, to show where a school sits relative to others. The department plans to apply the change across key stages, beginning with the return of progress measures at key stage 2 in December 2026. Source: Schools Week.

State schools surge in the 2026 Parent Power table

In the 2026 Sunday Times Parent Power rankings, state schools rose by an average of 9.4 places, outpacing private institutions. London schools took eight of the top ten places, boys' schools climbed an average of 17 places, and East Anglia was the most improved region. Source: Parent Power 2026 coverage.

What it means for parents

If the quintile system lands, a single year's position will say less on its own than the band a school sits in over time. Treat any one table as a starting point rather than a verdict: look at several years, the school's intake, and what its progress measure actually covers. Our guides on Progress 8 and how Ofsted ratings work explain how to read the numbers behind the rankings.