GCSE results 2026
GCSE results 2026: what the numbers mean for parents
We analysed the provisional 2025/26 results for all 3,361 state-funded mainstream secondary schools in England, 611,898 pupils, from the Department for Education’s school-level data: how results moved, which councils, schools and pupils did best, and what to read into it when you choose a school.
Grade 5+ English & maths
47.8%
+0.9 pts on 2025
Grade 4+ English & maths
66.8%
0.0 pts on 2025
Grade 7+ English & maths
14.7%
First published this year
Attainment 8
47.6
+0.3 on 2025, out of 90
Provisional figures, published October 2026. Revised figures with re-marks follow in early 2027.
Key findings
- Results edged up. 47.8% of pupils got grade 5+ in English and maths, against 46.9% in 2025; the average Attainment 8 score rose by 0.3 points to 47.6. The grade 4 pass rate was unchanged at 66.8%.
- About one pupil in 7 got grade 7+ in both English and maths (14.7%), a measure the Department for Education published for the first time. At 105 schools half or more of the year group did.
- The disadvantage gap narrowed slightly. Disadvantaged pupils averaged 37.7 against 51.5 for their classmates, a gap of 13.8 points (14.3 in 2025), while the share of pupils who are disadvantaged rose from 27.3% to 28.9%.
- London leads the regions, with 55.9% at grade 5+ in English and maths against 43.7% in the West Midlands. Yorkshire and The Humber improved most (+2.1 points).
- Grammar areas are split. The 163 grammar schools averaged 93.6% at grade 5+, but the other schools in grammar-school councils averaged 41.9%, below the 46.6% at schools in councils without grammars.
- Academy or council school makes little difference on average: Attainment 8 of 47.6 at academies and 47.8 at council-maintained schools.
- The school matters more than the council. About 80% of the difference between non-selective schools lies between schools in the same council; in a typical council the best and weakest school are 26.3 Attainment 8 points apart.
- Girls stayed ahead (49.0 against 46.1 for boys), and pupils with English as an additional language outperformed the average (50.7).
2026 against previous years
| Exams sat | Pupils | Attainment 8 | Grade 4+ E&M | Grade 5+ E&M | Grade 7+ E&M | Triple science |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (provisional) | 611,898 | 47.6 | 66.8% | 47.8% | 14.7% | 23.5% |
| 2025 | 605,892 | 47.3 | 66.8% | 46.9% | — | 24.0% |
| 2024 | 609,818 | 47.1 | 66.9% | 47.3% | — | 25.5% |
E&M: English and maths. Triple science: pupils entered for separate biology, chemistry and physics GCSEs. Grade 7+ was not published before 2026.
Which pupils did best
Disadvantaged pupils (eligible for free school meals in the last six years, or looked after) remain the biggest gap: 29.3% got grade 5+ in English and maths, against 55.2% of their classmates. Inside individual schools the typical gap is 11.8 Attainment 8 points, and disadvantaged pupils did as well as their classmates at only 31 of 3,268 schools. In mixed schools girls averaged 2.8 points more than boys, though boys were ahead at 581 of 2,919.
- All pupils47.8%
- Girls48.9%
- Boys46.8%
- Not disadvantaged55.2%
- Disadvantaged29.3%
- English as an additional language52.3%
- Stayed at the same school48.8%
| Pupils | Number | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M | Grade 7+ E&M | 5+ change on 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All pupils | 611,898 | 47.6 | 47.8% | 14.7% | +0.9 |
| Girls | 301,334 | 49.0 | 48.9% | 15.4% | +1.0 |
| Boys | 310,564 | 46.1 | 46.8% | 13.9% | +0.9 |
| Not disadvantaged | 434,985 | 51.5 | 55.2% | 17.7% | +1.2 |
| Disadvantaged | 176,913 | 37.7 | 29.3% | 6.4% | +1.9 |
| English as an additional language | 114,758 | 50.7 | 52.3% | 18.5% | +1.6 |
| Stayed at the same school | 586,963 | 48.2 | 48.8% | 15.1% | +0.9 |
GCSE results 2026 by region
London has the highest share of pupils at grade 5+ in English and maths and the West Midlands the lowest. The gap between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates is smallest in London (11.9 Attainment 8 points) and widest in the South East (16.9).
- London55.9%
- South East49.7%
- South West47.5%
- East of England47.3%
- Yorkshire and The Humber47.1%
- North East46.0%
- East Midlands45.1%
- North West44.5%
- West Midlands43.7%
- England47.8%
| Region | Schools | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M | Grade 7+ E&M | 5+ change | Disadvantage gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | 502 | 52.0 | 55.9% | 21.6% | +1.7 | 11.9 |
| South East | 516 | 48.6 | 49.7% | 16.0% | +0.3 | 16.9 |
| East of England | 376 | 47.5 | 47.3% | 14.3% | +0.2 | 15.2 |
| South West | 322 | 47.4 | 47.5% | 13.0% | −0.1 | 15.5 |
| East Midlands | 291 | 46.3 | 45.1% | 12.0% | +0.9 | 14.1 |
| Yorkshire and The Humber | 318 | 46.3 | 47.1% | 13.3% | +2.1 | 15.0 |
| North West | 468 | 46.1 | 44.5% | 12.6% | +1.3 | 13.7 |
| North East | 152 | 46.0 | 46.0% | 11.8% | +0.9 | 14.1 |
| West Midlands | 395 | 45.7 | 43.7% | 12.6% | +0.9 | 12.2 |
Disadvantage gap: Attainment 8 points between disadvantaged pupils and their classmates.
GCSE results 2026 by council
All 151 councils with at least three state secondary schools, ranked by average Attainment 8. Kingston upon Thames comes first (60.8) and Knowsley last (36.5). Councils with grammar schools rank higher partly because of them; open a council for every school’s results.
| # | Council | Schools | Attainment 8 | A8 change | Grade 5+ E&M | Grade 7+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kingston upon Thames2 grammars | 11 | 60.8 | +0.3 | 69.6% | 38.0% |
| 2 | Sutton5 grammars | 15 | 60.5 | −0.4 | 69.4% | 41.0% |
| 3 | Trafford7 grammars | 19 | 58.4 | −0.5 | 65.7% | 32.4% |
| 4 | Barnet3 grammars | 28 | 57.7 | +0.3 | 65.4% | 31.0% |
| 5 | Richmond upon Thames | 11 | 57.7 | +0.2 | 67.0% | 29.0% |
| 6 | Hammersmith and Fulham | 11 | 56.7 | −1.2 | 65.2% | 25.6% |
| 7 | Redbridge2 grammars | 19 | 55.5 | +0.9 | 62.9% | 27.6% |
| 8 | Wokingham | 10 | 55.5 | +1.5 | 64.1% | 23.1% |
| 9 | Buckinghamshire13 grammars | 36 | 55.3 | +0.5 | 61.6% | 28.1% |
| 10 | Wandsworth | 11 | 54.1 | −0.1 | 60.1% | 25.4% |
| 11 | Merton | 9 | 54.0 | −0.1 | 58.0% | 20.1% |
| 12 | Slough4 grammars | 15 | 54.0 | +0.4 | 58.9% | 29.0% |
| 13 | Kensington and Chelsea | 6 | 53.8 | −1.3 | 60.5% | 23.7% |
| 14 | Westminster | 11 | 53.4 | −0.9 | 59.3% | 20.8% |
| 15 | Southend-on-Sea4 grammars | 12 | 53.3 | −0.3 | 56.0% | 25.0% |
| 16 | Hackney | 16 | 53.2 | +1.6 | 58.1% | 23.3% |
| 17 | Ealing | 17 | 53.1 | +0.1 | 58.4% | 23.8% |
| 18 | Harrow | 13 | 52.7 | +0.9 | 55.9% | 22.6% |
| 19 | Bromley2 grammars | 19 | 52.6 | +0.9 | 55.9% | 21.7% |
| 20 | Bexley4 grammars | 16 | 52.4 | +0.6 | 57.1% | 22.5% |
| 21 | Southwark | 20 | 52.3 | −0.6 | 55.8% | 20.1% |
| 22 | Surrey | 57 | 52.2 | +0.1 | 56.4% | 18.5% |
| 23 | Reading2 grammars | 10 | 51.9 | +0.8 | 55.6% | 27.9% |
| 24 | Newham | 21 | 51.7 | +0.1 | 55.4% | 21.9% |
| 25 | Hertfordshire | 79 | 51.4 | −0.3 | 54.7% | 19.2% |
| 26 | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole4 grammars | 23 | 51.2 | −0.6 | 57.9% | 18.0% |
| 27 | Gloucestershire7 grammars | 41 | 51.2 | −0.1 | 53.8% | 17.9% |
| 28 | Hounslow | 20 | 51.2 | −0.6 | 55.0% | 18.6% |
| 29 | Brent | 16 | 51.0 | −1.3 | 53.5% | 20.1% |
| 30 | York | 9 | 50.7 | −0.8 | 53.8% | 18.5% |
| 31 | Hillingdon | 22 | 50.4 | +1.4 | 54.7% | 18.2% |
| 32 | Torbay3 grammars | 8 | 50.4 | −0.1 | 55.0% | 18.0% |
| 33 | Cambridgeshire | 34 | 50.3 | +1.0 | 52.3% | 18.8% |
| 34 | Bath and North East Somerset | 14 | 50.2 | +1.2 | 53.2% | 14.2% |
| 35 | Stockport | 14 | 50.1 | +1.8 | 52.9% | 17.7% |
| 36 | West Berkshire | 10 | 50.1 | +1.2 | 52.2% | 15.7% |
| 37 | Haringey | 12 | 49.8 | +0.5 | 51.4% | 18.1% |
| 38 | Tower Hamlets | 17 | 49.8 | +0.2 | 53.0% | 17.9% |
| 39 | Islington | 10 | 49.7 | +1.1 | 50.8% | 20.3% |
| 40 | Calderdale2 grammars | 13 | 49.6 | +0.2 | 52.4% | 17.5% |
| 41 | Warrington | 13 | 49.5 | +0.3 | 50.8% | 15.1% |
| 42 | Rutland | 3 | 49.2 | −1.2 | 49.8% | 11.8% |
| 43 | Warwickshire5 grammars | 37 | 49.2 | 0.0 | 51.1% | 17.8% |
| 44 | Barking and Dagenham | 13 | 49.0 | −0.2 | 50.0% | 15.5% |
| 45 | Gateshead | 10 | 48.9 | +0.3 | 51.5% | 14.9% |
| 46 | Windsor and Maidenhead | 10 | 48.9 | +0.7 | 49.7% | 13.8% |
| 47 | Lewisham | 14 | 48.7 | +0.7 | 49.7% | 14.6% |
| 48 | Kent32 grammars | 100 | 48.6 | +0.3 | 49.3% | 16.6% |
| 49 | Waltham Forest | 17 | 48.6 | +1.1 | 50.4% | 15.2% |
| 50 | Camden | 10 | 48.5 | +0.7 | 50.4% | 19.1% |
| 51 | Enfield1 grammar | 21 | 48.3 | +0.6 | 48.7% | 18.5% |
| 52 | Havering | 18 | 48.3 | +0.5 | 50.0% | 13.9% |
| 53 | Brighton and Hove | 10 | 48.2 | +1.0 | 50.1% | 15.1% |
| 54 | Greenwich | 16 | 48.2 | +0.7 | 49.9% | 16.4% |
| 55 | Leeds | 45 | 48.2 | +1.2 | 50.7% | 15.5% |
| 56 | North Tyneside | 12 | 48.2 | +0.4 | 47.2% | 12.7% |
| 57 | Birmingham8 grammars | 88 | 48.1 | +0.2 | 49.1% | 17.3% |
| 58 | Bracknell Forest | 7 | 48.0 | +0.5 | 48.9% | 14.7% |
| 59 | Solihull | 15 | 48.0 | −0.1 | 47.4% | 14.2% |
| 60 | Plymouth3 grammars | 19 | 47.9 | +0.9 | 50.9% | 13.8% |
| 61 | North Yorkshire3 grammars | 41 | 47.8 | +0.3 | 49.1% | 13.0% |
| 62 | West Sussex | 40 | 47.8 | +0.7 | 48.4% | 13.2% |
| 63 | County Durham | 30 | 47.7 | +0.5 | 45.8% | 12.4% |
| 64 | Cheshire East | 22 | 47.5 | −0.2 | 46.1% | 12.8% |
| 65 | Nottinghamshire | 45 | 47.4 | 0.0 | 48.3% | 13.8% |
| 66 | Croydon | 24 | 47.3 | +1.6 | 47.7% | 13.6% |
| 67 | Lambeth | 16 | 47.3 | +0.6 | 47.2% | 14.1% |
| 68 | North Somerset | 11 | 47.3 | −0.3 | 46.1% | 11.2% |
| 69 | Stockton-on-Tees | 13 | 47.2 | +1.0 | 52.0% | 13.4% |
| 70 | Leicester | 21 | 47.0 | +0.3 | 46.1% | 14.1% |
| 71 | Leicestershire | 43 | 47.0 | −0.1 | 47.0% | 12.8% |
| 72 | Manchester | 31 | 47.0 | +0.5 | 46.4% | 13.6% |
| 73 | Oxfordshire | 41 | 47.0 | −0.3 | 47.9% | 15.4% |
| 74 | West Northamptonshire | 22 | 47.0 | +1.3 | 46.5% | 13.4% |
| 75 | Hampshire | 69 | 46.9 | +0.4 | 46.0% | 12.3% |
| 76 | Kirklees1 grammar | 25 | 46.9 | −0.3 | 47.7% | 14.8% |
| 77 | Devon1 grammar | 41 | 46.8 | +0.1 | 46.6% | 12.8% |
| 78 | Medway6 grammars | 19 | 46.8 | −0.5 | 43.6% | 13.0% |
| 79 | Wirral6 grammars | 20 | 46.8 | +0.4 | 46.0% | 15.1% |
| 80 | Thurrock | 13 | 46.7 | +0.5 | 46.8% | 13.1% |
| 81 | Wakefield | 18 | 46.7 | +0.9 | 48.6% | 13.9% |
| 82 | Doncaster | 20 | 46.6 | +0.9 | 50.3% | 13.0% |
| 83 | Cheshire West and Chester | 20 | 46.5 | +0.5 | 44.4% | 12.7% |
| 84 | Lancashire4 grammars | 82 | 46.5 | +0.2 | 45.0% | 12.8% |
| 85 | Luton | 13 | 46.5 | +0.8 | 46.1% | 13.4% |
| 86 | South Gloucestershire | 16 | 46.5 | −0.2 | 44.1% | 11.7% |
| 87 | Bolton | 20 | 46.4 | −0.3 | 47.9% | 12.6% |
| 88 | Bristol, City of | 22 | 46.4 | −1.3 | 45.1% | 13.6% |
| 89 | Wolverhampton1 grammar | 20 | 46.4 | +0.6 | 44.3% | 13.4% |
| 90 | Essex4 grammars | 80 | 46.3 | +0.4 | 45.1% | 13.1% |
| 91 | Lincolnshire15 grammars | 54 | 46.2 | −0.3 | 43.1% | 10.5% |
| 92 | Sheffield | 30 | 46.2 | +1.7 | 47.9% | 15.0% |
| 93 | Wiltshire2 grammars | 28 | 46.2 | −0.9 | 44.7% | 12.0% |
| 94 | Wigan | 19 | 46.1 | +1.7 | 44.1% | 10.7% |
| 95 | Herefordshire, County of | 15 | 46.0 | +0.4 | 42.4% | 10.1% |
| 96 | Cornwall | 31 | 45.8 | +0.1 | 44.4% | 11.3% |
| 97 | Derbyshire | 45 | 45.8 | +0.3 | 45.1% | 10.5% |
| 98 | Swindon | 14 | 45.8 | +0.5 | 45.7% | 10.9% |
| 99 | Telford and Wrekin2 grammars | 13 | 45.8 | +0.5 | 42.2% | 13.9% |
| 100 | Barnsley | 11 | 45.7 | −0.3 | 48.7% | 12.6% |
| 101 | Darlington | 8 | 45.7 | +0.6 | 45.1% | 12.1% |
| 102 | Westmorland and Furness1 grammar | 20 | 45.6 | −0.1 | 42.8% | 8.8% |
| 103 | Norfolk | 53 | 45.5 | −0.5 | 44.0% | 10.2% |
| 104 | Salford | 15 | 45.5 | +0.8 | 44.2% | 11.5% |
| 105 | East Riding of Yorkshire | 18 | 45.4 | −0.1 | 44.7% | 10.6% |
| 106 | Milton Keynes | 14 | 45.4 | +0.2 | 45.4% | 13.1% |
| 107 | Northumberland | 16 | 45.4 | −0.5 | 44.4% | 11.3% |
| 108 | Blackburn with Darwen | 12 | 45.2 | −1.1 | 44.4% | 12.5% |
| 109 | Sunderland | 18 | 45.2 | +0.7 | 46.4% | 10.9% |
| 110 | Newcastle upon Tyne | 13 | 45.1 | −0.1 | 46.6% | 14.5% |
| 111 | Coventry | 22 | 45.0 | −0.1 | 44.5% | 12.7% |
| 112 | East Sussex | 26 | 45.0 | +0.7 | 45.5% | 10.6% |
| 113 | Bedford | 13 | 44.9 | −0.3 | 42.5% | 9.1% |
| 114 | North Northamptonshire | 20 | 44.9 | +0.8 | 41.8% | 9.7% |
| 115 | Oldham | 13 | 44.9 | +0.7 | 41.4% | 11.2% |
| 116 | Redcar and Cleveland | 10 | 44.9 | −0.8 | 47.1% | 9.8% |
| 117 | Worcestershire | 31 | 44.9 | −0.3 | 42.1% | 10.0% |
| 118 | Kingston upon Hull, City of | 13 | 44.8 | +1.4 | 43.2% | 11.2% |
| 119 | North Lincolnshire | 14 | 44.8 | +0.9 | 46.3% | 9.1% |
| 120 | Staffordshire | 56 | 44.8 | −0.3 | 41.2% | 9.1% |
| 121 | Tameside | 16 | 44.7 | +0.3 | 44.3% | 10.7% |
| 122 | Peterborough | 14 | 44.6 | +0.7 | 40.8% | 9.7% |
| 123 | Rotherham | 16 | 44.6 | +1.1 | 42.7% | 11.5% |
| 124 | Dorset | 19 | 44.5 | +0.3 | 41.9% | 8.0% |
| 125 | Somerset | 29 | 44.5 | +0.3 | 40.8% | 9.4% |
| 126 | St. Helens | 9 | 44.5 | +1.6 | 41.9% | 9.4% |
| 127 | Central Bedfordshire | 16 | 44.3 | −0.5 | 42.3% | 10.3% |
| 128 | Dudley | 19 | 44.3 | +0.4 | 43.6% | 10.1% |
| 129 | Nottingham | 19 | 44.3 | +0.3 | 42.5% | 11.3% |
| 130 | Sefton | 18 | 44.2 | 0.0 | 40.2% | 10.2% |
| 131 | Bury | 13 | 44.0 | −0.5 | 39.6% | 9.1% |
| 132 | Suffolk | 43 | 44.0 | +0.2 | 41.1% | 9.8% |
| 133 | Rochdale | 13 | 43.9 | +2.2 | 41.2% | 9.6% |
| 134 | Derby | 16 | 43.8 | 0.0 | 39.3% | 10.7% |
| 135 | Walsall2 grammars | 19 | 43.8 | −0.1 | 39.3% | 12.2% |
| 136 | South Tyneside | 8 | 43.5 | −0.8 | 38.9% | 7.2% |
| 137 | Liverpool1 grammar | 32 | 43.4 | −0.1 | 39.1% | 12.5% |
| 138 | Sandwell | 19 | 42.9 | +0.5 | 36.2% | 7.9% |
| 139 | Hartlepool | 5 | 42.8 | −1.1 | 42.2% | 7.6% |
| 140 | North East Lincolnshire | 10 | 42.5 | −0.4 | 37.3% | 7.2% |
| 141 | Middlesbrough | 8 | 42.3 | 0.0 | 39.4% | 9.3% |
| 142 | Bradford | 35 | 42.2 | +0.6 | 39.7% | 10.6% |
| 143 | Shropshire | 20 | 41.8 | −1.5 | 35.1% | 7.2% |
| 144 | Southampton | 12 | 41.7 | −1.4 | 37.0% | 9.3% |
| 145 | Cumberland | 19 | 41.5 | −1.1 | 34.0% | 5.5% |
| 146 | Portsmouth | 11 | 41.2 | −0.1 | 35.8% | 8.4% |
| 147 | Halton | 8 | 41.1 | −2.2 | 36.5% | 7.5% |
| 148 | Stoke-on-Trent1 grammar | 14 | 40.8 | −0.1 | 34.4% | 7.6% |
| 149 | Blackpool | 8 | 40.3 | +1.9 | 37.1% | 6.8% |
| 150 | Isle of Wight | 7 | 40.2 | −2.4 | 35.1% | 6.1% |
| 151 | Knowsley | 6 | 36.5 | −0.6 | 26.2% | 4.4% |
Grammar schools and the schools around them
Grammar schools select by ability, so their results are the highest in the country: 93.6% of pupils got grade 5+ in English and maths and 57.7% grade 7+. In the 20 councils with three or more grammars, the other schools teach fewer of the highest attainers, and their results show it: 41.9% at grade 5+, against 46.6% in councils without grammars. If you live in a grammar area and your child does not sit or pass the 11-plus, compare the non-selective schools with each other, not with the county average.
- Grammar schools93.6%
- Other schools in grammar-school councils41.9%
- Schools in non-grammar councils46.6%
Grammar-school councils: Barnet, Bexley, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Kent, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Medway, North Yorkshire, Plymouth, Slough, Southend-on-Sea, Sutton, Torbay, Trafford, Warwickshire, Wirral. See also all grammar schools.
Does the type of school matter?
Less than many parents think, once you allow for who a school admits. Academies and council-maintained schools score almost the same. Single-sex schools do better than mixed ones even leaving out grammars (girls’ schools 53.6, boys’ 50.3, mixed 46.0), and faith schools slightly better than schools without a religious character, but both groups tend to have fewer disadvantaged pupils, so part of the difference is intake. Very small year groups (under 100) score lowest. These comparisons leave out grammar and partially selective schools except where marked.
- Academies47.6
- Free schools47.7
- Council-maintained schools47.8
- Girls' schools53.6
- Boys' schools50.3
- Mixed schools46.0
- No religious character45.9
- Roman Catholic48.8
- Church of England47.5
- Christian46.9
- Muslim59.0
- Jewish58.0
- Under 100 pupils in Year 1140.9
- 100–14945.9
- 150–19948.2
- 200–24947.7
- 250 or more48.5
Bars are on the full 0–90 Attainment 8 scale. Hover a bar for the number of schools.
Disadvantage and results
The share of pupils on free school meals is the strongest single predictor of a school’s results: schools where fewer than 10% are eligible averaged 65.0, those above 40% averaged 41.7. So a raw league table mostly ranks intake. Without Progress 8 this year, a fairer test is how far a school beats the result you would expect from its intake.
- Under 10% on free school meals65.0
- 10–20%50.8
- 20–30%46.5
- 30–40%43.8
- Over 40%41.7
Schools far above what their intake predicts
Non-selective schools where at least a quarter of pupils are on free school meals, ranked by how far their Attainment 8 beats the score expected from that share (our estimate across all non-selective schools).
| # | School | Free school meals | Expected A8 | Attainment 8 | Above expected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michaela Community SchoolBrent | 36.0% | 44.1 | 79.6 | +35.5 |
| 2 | Mossbourne Community AcademyHackney | 48.4% | 40.8 | 67.2 | +26.4 |
| 3 | Mossbourne Victoria Park AcademyHackney | 47.8% | 41.0 | 65.1 | +24.1 |
| 4 | Ark Soane AcademyEaling | 52.6% | 39.7 | 63.7 | +24.0 |
| 5 | Ark Greenwich Free SchoolGreenwich | 37.2% | 43.7 | 65.8 | +22.1 |
| 6 | Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, BirminghamBirmingham | 44.3% | 41.9 | 63.6 | +21.7 |
| 7 | Eden Girls' School, CoventryCoventry | 36.7% | 43.9 | 65.2 | +21.3 |
| 8 | Eden Boys' School, BirminghamBirmingham | 46.3% | 41.3 | 62.2 | +20.9 |
| 9 | Ashcroft Technology AcademyWandsworth | 29.9% | 45.7 | 66.4 | +20.7 |
| 10 | The St Thomas the Apostle CollegeSouthwark | 46.8% | 41.2 | 61.8 | +20.6 |
| 11 | Oasis Academy South BankLambeth | 65.6% | 36.3 | 56.7 | +20.4 |
| 12 | St Paul's School for GirlsBirmingham | 29.5% | 45.8 | 65.9 | +20.1 |
| 13 | Eden Girls' School, Waltham ForestWaltham Forest | 34.4% | 44.5 | 64.2 | +19.7 |
| 14 | Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, ManchesterManchester | 42.9% | 42.2 | 61.8 | +19.6 |
| 15 | The Camden School for GirlsCamden | 28.4% | 46.1 | 65.1 | +19.0 |
| 16 | Brampton Manor AcademyNewham | 42.5% | 42.4 | 61.2 | +18.8 |
| 17 | Harris Science Academy East LondonNewham | 45.6% | 41.5 | 59.3 | +17.8 |
| 18 | Pimlico AcademyWestminster | 57.5% | 38.4 | 55.9 | +17.5 |
| 19 | Paddington AcademyWestminster | 49.8% | 40.4 | 57.8 | +17.4 |
| 20 | Trinity Academy LeedsLeeds | 58.6% | 38.1 | 55.4 | +17.3 |
Where disadvantaged pupils do best
Attainment 8 for disadvantaged pupils only, at schools with 30 or more of them. England’s average for disadvantaged pupils is 37.7.
| # | School | Disadvantaged pupils | Their Attainment 8 | Whole school |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michaela Community SchoolBrent | 47 | 77.7 | 79.6 |
| 2 | King Edward VI Camp Hill School for BoysBirminghamGrammar | 36 | 75.8 | 78.4 |
| 3 | Stretford Grammar SchoolTraffordGrammar | 33 | 74.6 | 75.5 |
| 4 | King Edward VI Camp Hill School for GirlsBirminghamGrammar | 43 | 74.4 | 78.8 |
| 5 | King Edward VI Handsworth SchoolBirminghamGrammar | 34 | 73.1 | 76.2 |
| 6 | Queen Mary's High SchoolWalsallGrammar | 41 | 73.0 | 74.1 |
| 7 | Dartford Grammar School for GirlsKentGrammar | 42 | 72.8 | 77.3 |
| 8 | The Blue Coat SchoolLiverpoolGrammar | 35 | 71.7 | 78.6 |
| 9 | Burnham Grammar SchoolBuckinghamshireGrammar | 31 | 70.7 | 71.4 |
| 10 | King Edward VI Five Ways SchoolBirminghamGrammar | 35 | 70.6 | 79.3 |
| 11 | Queen Mary's Grammar SchoolWalsallGrammar | 52 | 66.9 | 72.6 |
| 12 | King Edward VI Aston SchoolBirminghamGrammar | 30 | 65.2 | 69.9 |
| 13 | Eden Girls' Leadership Academy, BirminghamBirmingham | 70 | 64.5 | 63.6 |
| 14 | Eden Girls' School, CoventryCoventry | 49 | 63.5 | 65.2 |
| 15 | Mossbourne Community AcademyHackney | 102 | 62.6 | 67.2 |
Schools that stand out in 2026
Highest share of grade 7+ in English and maths
105 schools had half or more of pupils at grade 7+ in both, and 378 a quarter or more. The top 20 are all grammar schools:
| # | School | Grade 7+ E&M | Grade 5+ E&M | Attainment 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Henrietta Barnett SchoolBarnetGrammar | 100.0% | 100.0% | 87.1 |
| 2 | The Tiffin Girls' SchoolKingston upon ThamesGrammar | 98.9% | 100.0% | 86.0 |
| 3 | Queen Elizabeth's School, BarnetBarnetGrammar | 96.9% | 100.0% | 87.1 |
| 4 | Wilson's SchoolSuttonGrammar | 96.9% | 100.0% | 86.8 |
| 5 | St Olave's and St Saviour's Grammar SchoolBromleyGrammar | 96.9% | 100.0% | 85.0 |
| 6 | Wallington County Grammar SchoolSuttonGrammar | 93.3% | 99.3% | 82.0 |
| 7 | Stratford Girls' Grammar SchoolWarwickshireGrammar | 93.3% | 99.2% | 81.9 |
| 8 | Nonsuch High School for GirlsSuttonGrammar | 93.1% | 100.0% | 81.8 |
| 9 | Wallington High School for GirlsSuttonGrammar | 91.3% | 100.0% | 80.3 |
| 10 | Tiffin SchoolKingston upon ThamesGrammar | 90.6% | 100.0% | 83.1 |
| 11 | Kendrick SchoolReadingGrammar | 89.9% | 99.2% | 82.4 |
| 12 | Chelmsford County High School for GirlsEssexGrammar | 88.3% | 98.9% | 81.4 |
| 13 | Sutton Grammar SchoolSuttonGrammar | 88.1% | 100.0% | 82.6 |
| 14 | Woodford County High SchoolRedbridgeGrammar | 87.7% | 97.8% | 81.2 |
| 15 | King Edward VI Grammar School, ChelmsfordEssexGrammar | 87.4% | 99.3% | 83.0 |
| 16 | The Latymer SchoolEnfieldGrammar | 86.8% | 98.9% | 80.9 |
| 17 | King Edward VI SchoolWarwickshireGrammar | 86.7% | 97.8% | 81.1 |
| 18 | Bishop Vesey's Grammar SchoolBirminghamGrammar | 86.4% | 98.4% | 79.5 |
| 19 | Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for GirlsBirminghamGrammar | 86.1% | 99.4% | 80.5 |
| 20 | King Edward VI Five Ways SchoolBirminghamGrammar | 85.0% | 97.8% | 79.3 |
Top non-selective schools
Schools that do not select by ability, ranked by Attainment 8 (60 or more pupils in Year 11).
| # | School | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M | Grade 7+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michaela Community SchoolBrent | 79.6 | 99.2% | 82.0% |
| 2 | Tauheedul Islam Girls' High SchoolBlackburn with Darwen | 68.7 | 88.7% | 46.0% |
| 3 | Mossbourne Community AcademyHackney | 67.2 | 81.2% | 47.0% |
| 4 | Ealing Fields Church of England High SchoolEaling | 66.6 | 80.1% | 46.4% |
| 5 | Mercia SchoolSheffield | 66.6 | 78.5% | 42.9% |
| 6 | JFSBrent | 66.4 | 82.2% | 46.3% |
| 7 | Orleans Park SchoolRichmond upon Thames | 66.4 | 78.5% | 47.5% |
| 8 | Ashcroft Technology AcademyWandsworth | 66.4 | 79.1% | 45.5% |
| 9 | Avanti House SchoolHarrow | 66.1 | 84.4% | 50.6% |
| 10 | St Paul's School for GirlsBirmingham | 65.9 | 82.0% | 37.7% |
| 11 | Parkside Community CollegeCambridgeshire | 65.9 | 81.6% | 48.8% |
| 12 | Ark Greenwich Free SchoolGreenwich | 65.8 | 86.0% | 40.2% |
| 13 | Sandringham SchoolHertfordshire | 65.7 | 84.4% | 41.2% |
| 14 | St George's SchoolHertfordshire | 65.6 | 85.3% | 42.4% |
| 15 | Chesterton Community CollegeCambridgeshire | 65.4 | 73.2% | 42.4% |
| 16 | St Andrew's Catholic SchoolSurrey | 65.4 | 83.7% | 39.2% |
| 17 | Eden Girls' School, CoventryCoventry | 65.2 | 80.5% | 39.0% |
| 18 | The Holt SchoolWokingham | 65.2 | 82.7% | 34.6% |
| 19 | The Camden School for GirlsCamden | 65.1 | 77.5% | 47.5% |
| 20 | Mossbourne Victoria Park AcademyHackney | 65.1 | 74.7% | 47.5% |
Consistently at the top
216 non-selective schools were in the top 10% for Attainment 8 in each of the last 3 years. One good year can be a strong cohort; three in a row is a pattern. The 30 highest-scoring:
| # | School | Attainment 8 | Grade 5+ E&M | Grade 7+ E&M |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michaela Community SchoolBrent | 79.6 | 99.2% | 82.0% |
| 2 | Tauheedul Islam Girls' High SchoolBlackburn with Darwen | 68.7 | 88.7% | 46.0% |
| 3 | Mossbourne Community AcademyHackney | 67.2 | 81.2% | 47.0% |
| 4 | Ealing Fields Church of England High SchoolEaling | 66.6 | 80.1% | 46.4% |
| 5 | Mercia SchoolSheffield | 66.6 | 78.5% | 42.9% |
| 6 | Orleans Park SchoolRichmond upon Thames | 66.4 | 78.5% | 47.5% |
| 7 | JFSBrent | 66.4 | 82.2% | 46.3% |
| 8 | Ashcroft Technology AcademyWandsworth | 66.4 | 79.1% | 45.5% |
| 9 | Avanti House SchoolHarrow | 66.1 | 84.4% | 50.6% |
| 10 | St Paul's School for GirlsBirmingham | 65.9 | 82.0% | 37.7% |
| 11 | Parkside Community CollegeCambridgeshire | 65.9 | 81.6% | 48.8% |
| 12 | Ark Greenwich Free SchoolGreenwich | 65.8 | 86.0% | 40.2% |
| 13 | Sandringham SchoolHertfordshire | 65.7 | 84.4% | 41.2% |
| 14 | St George's SchoolHertfordshire | 65.6 | 85.3% | 42.4% |
| 15 | Chesterton Community CollegeCambridgeshire | 65.4 | 73.2% | 42.4% |
| 16 | The Holt SchoolWokingham | 65.2 | 82.7% | 34.6% |
| 17 | Eden Girls' School, CoventryCoventry | 65.2 | 80.5% | 39.0% |
| 18 | The Camden School for GirlsCamden | 65.1 | 77.5% | 47.5% |
| 19 | Wren Academy FinchleyBarnet | 65.1 | 82.1% | 44.1% |
| 20 | Mossbourne Victoria Park AcademyHackney | 65.1 | 74.7% | 47.5% |
| 21 | Gordon's SchoolSurrey | 64.8 | 79.7% | 39.1% |
| 22 | Lady Margaret SchoolHammersmith and Fulham | 64.7 | 79.0% | 39.5% |
| 23 | Twyford Church of England High SchoolEaling | 64.6 | 77.1% | 37.3% |
| 24 | The Kingston AcademyKingston upon Thames | 64.6 | 82.8% | 44.5% |
| 25 | Waldegrave SchoolRichmond upon Thames | 64.5 | 75.8% | 37.0% |
| 26 | Nishkam School West LondonHounslow | 64.5 | 78.9% | 33.9% |
| 27 | Thornden SchoolHampshire | 64.5 | 79.9% | 34.4% |
| 28 | Eden Girls' School, Waltham ForestWaltham Forest | 64.2 | 81.1% | 32.0% |
| 29 | West London Free SchoolHammersmith and Fulham | 64.2 | 76.2% | 40.8% |
| 30 | Sir John Lawes SchoolHertfordshire | 63.9 | 71.9% | 36.5% |
Most improved on 2025
495 schools raised their Attainment 8 by three points or more and 358 fell by as much. Year-to-year moves of a few points are common, so look for a trend before reading much into one.
| # | School | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broadlands AcademyBath and North East Somerset | 31.8 | 43.8 | +12.0 |
| 2 | John O'Gaunt SchoolWest Berkshire | 32.0 | 43.2 | +11.2 |
| 3 | St Mary's Catholic High SchoolCroydon | 36.5 | 46.7 | +10.2 |
| 4 | South Chingford Foundation SchoolWaltham Forest | 32.8 | 42.8 | +10.0 |
| 5 | East Point AcademySuffolk | 39.5 | 49.2 | +9.7 |
| 6 | Lift Sir Herbert LeonMilton Keynes | 33.7 | 42.6 | +8.9 |
| 7 | St Philip Howard Catholic Voluntary AcademyDerbyshire | 40.5 | 49.2 | +8.7 |
| 8 | Norton Canes High SchoolStaffordshire | 34.8 | 43.5 | +8.7 |
| 9 | The Westleigh SchoolWigan | 36.4 | 45.0 | +8.6 |
| 10 | Greater Peterborough UTCPeterborough | 38.2 | 46.7 | +8.5 |
| 11 | Holy Family Roman Catholic and Church of England CollegeRochdale | 43.4 | 51.8 | +8.4 |
| 12 | Tong Leadership AcademyBradford | 26.4 | 34.7 | +8.3 |
| 13 | St Joseph's Catholic CollegeSwindon | 38.0 | 46.2 | +8.2 |
| 14 | The Archbishop Lanfranc AcademyCroydon | 39.1 | 47.2 | +8.1 |
| 15 | Abbot Beyne SchoolStaffordshire | 39.4 | 47.4 | +8.0 |
Using these results to choose a school
- Compare schools near you, not councils. Most of the difference is between schools in the same council, so the council average says little about the schools you can actually get into.
- Look at three years. One year’s results move with each year group; a school that is strong every year is a safer bet than one good year.
- Allow for intake. With no Progress 8 this year, compare a school with others with a similar share of disadvantaged pupils, and check how its disadvantaged pupils do.
- Pick the measure that fits your child. Grade 4+ shows how many pupils secure a pass; grade 7+ shows how well a school stretches the most able.
- In grammar areas, compare the non-selective schools with each other: the county average includes the grammars.
- Then check you can get a place. Good results mean nothing without an offer: see the last distance offered at each school.
GCSE results 2026: questions parents ask
- When were the 2026 GCSE results published for each school?
- Pupils received their grades in August 2026. The Department for Education published school-level provisional figures for 2025/26 in October 2026, and revised figures follow in early 2027 after re-marks and late results are added.
- What was the average Attainment 8 score in 2026?
- 47.6 across England's state-funded mainstream secondary schools, up from 47.3 in 2025. Attainment 8 is out of 90: a pupil's grades in eight GCSE slots added up, with English and maths counted twice. A score of 50 is roughly a grade 5 average.
- What percentage of pupils got grade 5 or above in English and maths in 2026?
- 47.8% of pupils in state-funded mainstream schools, against 46.9% in 2025. 66.8% got at least a grade 4 (a standard pass) in both, and 14.7% got grade 7 or above in both.
- Why is there no Progress 8 score this year?
- Progress 8 compares GCSE results with the same pupils' KS2 SATs at the end of primary school. This cohort's SATs were cancelled during Covid, so the Department for Education has published no Progress 8 for 2024/25 or 2025/26. Without it, compare schools with a similar intake rather than raw results alone.
- Are independent schools included?
- No. Many independent schools enter pupils for IGCSEs, which do not count in these measures, so their published figures understate their results. The figures here cover state-funded mainstream schools, including grammar schools, academies and free schools.
- Which council had the best GCSE results?
- Kingston upon Thames, with an average Attainment 8 of 60.8 and 69.6% of pupils getting grade 5+ in English and maths. The table on this page ranks all 151 councils with at least three secondary schools.
About these figures
- Source: Department for Education, Key stage 4 performance (school-level data), 2025/26 provisional release. Figures are our calculations from each school’s published totals.
- They cover state-funded mainstream schools (academies, free schools, council-maintained schools, UTCs and studio schools), so they differ slightly from the Department for Education’s headline figures, which include special schools.
- Independent schools are left out because IGCSEs do not count in these measures.
- School lists only include open schools with 60 or more pupils in Year 11; council pages list every open school.
- Grammar and partially selective schools follow our grammar schools list. “Expected” Attainment 8 is a straight-line fit on free school meals share across non-selective schools.
- See data and methodology for how we handle every source.