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Progress 8 CI Upper

DfE Performance Tables

Last refreshed 30 January 2026 16:42
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Progress 8 CI Upper

DfE Performance Tables

Upper bound of 95% confidence interval for Progress 8 score

Understanding Progress 8 Confidence Interval (Upper Bound)

This is the upper bound of the 95% confidence interval for a school’s Progress 8 score. Combined with the lower bound, it shows the range of likely true performance.

Technical Explanation

The upper confidence bound represents the higher end of likely true performance. Together with the lower bound, it creates a range:

  • Narrow interval (e.g., -0.1 to +0.3): High certainty, typically larger schools
  • Wide interval (e.g., -0.5 to +0.7): More uncertainty, typically smaller schools

Statistical Significance

A Progress 8 score is considered statistically significant when the confidence interval doesn’t cross zero: - Both bounds positive = significantly above average - Both bounds negative = significantly below average - Interval crosses zero = not significantly different from average

Practical Use

For most purposes, the main Progress 8 score is sufficient. Confidence intervals are most useful when: - Comparing schools of different sizes - Making high-stakes decisions - Conducting statistical analysis

Small schools’ scores should be interpreted with more caution due to wider intervals.

Technical Details

Column Name
progress8_ci_upp
Data Source
DfE Performance Tables

Coverage by School Phase

How many schools have data available for this field.

Primary
0% 0 / 17910
Secondary
93% 1176 / 1263
Secondary with Sixth Form
95% 1942 / 2033
Sixth Form Only
0% 0 / 289
All-through
59% 161 / 269
Special
18% 375 / 2059
Independent
0% 3 / 1724
Good (80%+)
Moderate (50-79%)
Poor (<50%)

This field does not contribute to the performance score calculation.

Distribution by School Phase

Statistical distribution of values across schools.

Min
-3.44
Max
2.83
Mean
-0.11
Median
-0.1
Std Dev
0.57
Schools
3654
Secondary (1176)
16
219
561
336
44
-3 -3 -2 -2 -1 0 0 1 2 2 3
Secondary with Sixth Form (1942)
1
6
4
22
212
803
691
191
9
3
-3 -3 -2 -2 -1 0 0 1 2 2 3
All-through (161)
1
1
2
22
64
55
14
2
-3 -3 -2 -2 -1 0 0 1 2 2 3
Special (375)
1
11
45
157
128
23
5
5
-3 -3 -2 -2 -1 0 0 1 2 2 3

Related Fields

Fields that correlate with Progress 8 CI Upper. Click to explore.

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