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A governor's guide to attainment and progress

When it comes to measuring pupil performance, you'll often hear the words 'attainment' and 'progress' mentioned together. Use our guide to feel confident in knowing the difference between the 2.

Last reviewed on 8 April 2025See updates
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 35775
Contents
  1. Understand the difference
  2. How attainment is measured
  3. How progress is measured
  4. Your role in driving attainment and progress
  5. How Ofsted considers attainment and progress
  6. Your next steps if you need to learn more

Understand the difference

Here's how the Department for Education (DfE) and Ofsted use these terms.

Attainment Progress
The academic standard that pupils reach in, for example, assessments and exams. It's usually recorded as grades, scores or levels, and it indicates a pupil’s result at the end of a Key Stage (KS). Pupils’ achievements over a period of time, for example from KS2 to KS4. It’s the difference between pupils’ previous attainment and current attainment. When measuring a pupil’s progress, the DfE also takes into account the progress of pupils with similar starting points. 

Read more about these terms in the DfE's guidance on understanding