Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about School Signal, our data sources, and how to use the site.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is School Signal?
School Signal is a free platform that helps UK parents research, compare and choose schools. We aggregate data from Ofsted, the Department for Education, ISI, GIAS, NaPTAN and other official sources into one easy-to-use site so you don't have to dig through government spreadsheets.
Is School Signal free to use?
Yes - the core site is completely free. You can browse every school, view Ofsted ratings, performance data, transport links, and compare schools without paying. We also offer an optional Pro subscription (£9/month) that unlocks advanced features like the commute calculator, house prices around schools, and saved searches.
Where does your data come from?
All our data comes from official sources: Ofsted (inspection reports and ratings), the Department for Education (KS2/GCSE/A-Level performance), Get Information About Schools (GIAS), the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) for private schools, NaPTAN (transport stops), MHCLG (housing supply), and HM Land Registry (house prices). We refresh datasets on a regular schedule.
How current is the Ofsted data?
We refresh Ofsted inspection data weekly from the official Ofsted Management Information dataset, plus we scrape reports.ofsted.gov.uk to capture new inspections as they're published. Most schools you see will have data current to within a few days.
What does the new Ofsted report card mean?
From September 2024, Ofsted stopped issuing single-word overall judgments (Outstanding/Good/Requires Improvement/Inadequate) for state schools and replaced them with 'report cards' that grade individual areas like Leadership, Behaviour and Curriculum. We display both the legacy single grade where available and the new sub-grades for newer inspections.
Why don't independent schools have an Ofsted rating?
Most independent (private) schools in England are inspected by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), not Ofsted. ISI uses a different framework focused on regulatory compliance and the quality of pupils' achievement and personal development. We pull ISI inspection reports and surface the headline judgments on each independent school's page.
How are catchment areas estimated?
Schools in England don't publish exact catchment polygons - they use admissions criteria with priority areas. We estimate likely catchments by measuring the average distance to a school's nearest competitors of the same phase, then adjust for oversubscription and faith-school factors. The result is a probability ring (very likely / possible / unlikely) shown on the school map. It's a guide, not a guarantee - always check the school's official admissions policy.
Can I save schools I'm interested in?
Yes - create a free account and you can add any school to your watch list. Pro subscribers also get email alerts when new Ofsted reports are published for the schools they're watching.
How do I compare schools?
On any school page click 'Compare', or visit /compare to add up to four schools side by side. You'll see Ofsted ratings, performance metrics, fees (for independents), pupil numbers, demographics and capacity in a single view. There's also a dedicated /compare-fees page for comparing private school fees.
Do you cover schools in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Yes. We ingest school data from Education Scotland, Welsh Government EduBase, and the NI Department of Education. Coverage varies by nation - performance metrics are most complete for England, but the school directory, locations and contact details are available across the UK.
I spotted incorrect data on a school - how do I report it?
Email us at [email protected] with the school name and what's wrong. We'll investigate. Note that most data comes from official government sources, so if Ofsted or the DfE have published incorrect information we'll need to wait for them to correct it upstream - but we'll flag it on our side in the meantime.
Are you affiliated with Ofsted or the Department for Education?
No. School Signal is an independent platform built by parents for parents. We use publicly available data published under the Open Government Licence, but we have no formal relationship with Ofsted, the DfE, ISI or any school.