Embargoed: 19:00, Thursday 9th October 2025
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New schools comparison dashboard will allow parents to compare GCSE and A-Level results by postcode, local authority and geographical area
- Tool launched by TaxPayers’ Alliance, a campaign group, ahead of 31st October deadline to choose secondary schools for primary school students
- Shadow education secretary praises tool as she warns “Labour is taking a wrecking ball to the very reforms that improved our schools.”
A new schools dashboard will allow parents to compare the GCSE and A-Level results by subject of schools in England in a local authority, postcode or geographic area for the first time. This marks a significant improvement in terms of the accessibility and usability of school results data for parents looking at schools for their children ahead of the 31st October deadline.
Parents can search for an individual school in England using the dashboard, before then comparing GCSE and A-Level results of the school with others either in the same local authority, postcode, or geographic area. Alternatively the search can be done via postcode.
This comes as teaching and education unions campaign against Ofsted’s proposals to reform inspection regimes, with NASWUT - the Teachers’ Union among those warning that “the new inspection regime is not fit for purpose and will harm the wellbeing of teachers and headteachers.” The unions have also hit back against school league tables in the past. The TaxPayers’ Alliance, which is behind the schools dashboard, is warning that without proper, accessible, simple to use data, school standards will suffer.
The shadow education secretary, Laura Trott, has praised the dashboard saying “dashboards like this give parents a clear picture of how their local schools are performing.” She criticised the education secretary for focusing on “appeasing unions” instead of “delivering for pupils” and warned that the government is taking “a wrecking ball to the very reforms that improved our schools.”
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL DASHBOARD
Simon Cook, data analyst of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said:
"Parents will rightly worry that the changes to the Ofsted ranking system may be the harbinger for a reduction in transparency around school data.
“Comparative performance data at present is already too convoluted. Taxpayers pour billions into our schools every year, and they deserve to know whether that money is delivering real results.
“Ministers should be encouraging parents to look at performance data when picking a school for their children.”
Laura Trott MP, shadow education secretary, said:
“Accountability and transparency have been key to raising school standards, and dashboards like this give parents a clear picture of how their local schools are performing.
“But those hard-won gains are now under threat. Labour is taking a wrecking ball to the very reforms that improved our schools, pushing a botched Ofsted overhaul that weakens accountability, and an Education Secretary more focused on appeasing unions than delivering for pupils.
“We know what works - freedoms, accountability, rigorous inspection, and transparency. Labour is dismantling that formula and it’s our children who will pay the price.”
TPA spokespeople are available for live and pre-recorded broadcast interviews via 07795 084 113 (no texts)
Media contact:
William Yarwood
Media Campaigns Manager, TaxPayers' Alliance
[email protected]
24-hour media hotline: 07795 084 113 (no texts)
Notes to editors:
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Founded in 2004 by Matthew Elliott and Andrew Allum, the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA) campaigns to reform taxes and public services, cut waste and speak up for British taxpayers. Find out more at www.taxpayersalliance.com.
- TaxPayers' Alliance's research council.