Schools have a duty to share critical information with their communities. From admission arrangements to exam results, every maintained school in England must make certain details available online. But beyond ticking a box, why does this matter?

In essence, publishing information builds trust. It’s not just about legal compliance; it’s about empowering parents, carers, and students. When schools are transparent, communities gain insight into policies, values, and the resources available to students. Here’s a breakdown of what’s required and why it’s important.

The Essentials of School Information Regulations

School information requirements stem from the School Information (England) Regulations 2008, updated in 2012 and 2016, as well as other key pieces of legislation such as the Equality Act 2010 and the Children and Families Act 2014. Schools without websites must still make this information accessible, linking to it through alternative websites and offering paper copies free of charge upon request.

Admission Arrangements

Foundation and voluntary-aided schools need to lay out their admission policies by 15 March each year for September’s normal entry. This should clarify how applications are considered, the number of places available (PAN), and any selection criteria. When applications exceed available spaces, schools should be transparent about how they allocate places. For sixth-form admissions, the process for external applicants should also be detailed.

For mid-year admissions, guidance must be in place by 31 August. Schools must either handle these applications or link to the local authority’s in-year co-ordination scheme, depending on who manages the process.

Behaviour Policy

A school’s behaviour policy defines expectations and the boundaries of acceptable conduct, a necessary compass for any learning environment. Schools must publish this policy under section 89 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006. By making this accessible, schools set clear expectations for students, staff, and parents alike, creating a framework that supports a positive, safe environment.

Careers Guidance for Secondary Schools

For students in years 7 to 13, secondary schools must publish information on their careers programme. This includes contact details of the careers lead, programme highlights, and a way to measure its impact. Under the Education Act 1997, schools also need a statement outlining the access they provide to technical education and apprenticeship providers.

Charging and Remissions Policies

Schools must make clear when and why they charge for activities and any instances where charges may be waived. This is outlined in sections 449-462 of the Education Act 1996, and transparency here is essential for equal access to school activities, regardless of financial circumstances.

Complaints Policy

A transparent complaints policy is vital for any institution that values community trust. Schools are required to publish this under section 29 of the Education Act 2002, as well as details on complaints about SEN support. This allows parents and carers a structured path to voice concerns and seek resolutions.

Contact Details, Curriculum, and Accessibility Plans

Contact details, including a point person for queries, make schools accessible to parents and carers. Additionally, schools should publish curriculum details by subject, year, and stage, as well as any accessibility plans for students with disabilities. These plans are particularly meaningful, ensuring equal access to education and meeting obligations under the Equality Act 2010.

Financial Transparency

Schools with staff earning over £100,000 annually must publish salary bands in increments of £10,000, along with a link to the financial benchmarking service. By revealing financial information, schools help assure taxpayers and parents of responsible spending.

Governance and Ofsted Reports

Governance structures and Ofsted reports provide insight into school leadership and performance. Publishing this information offers parents a closer look at the school’s operation, accountability, and standards.

Gender Pay Gap and Equality Reporting

For schools with 250 or more employees, the Equality Act 2010 mandates annual gender pay gap reporting. Publishing this information, and possibly an action plan, helps schools address equality and pay disparity transparently.

Public Sector Equality Duty

Schools are expected to show how they meet the public sector equality duty, including setting and sharing equality objectives every four years. This demonstrates commitment to equality and inclusivity across the school community.

PE and Sport Premium

For schools receiving PE and sport premium funding, publishing spending and impact details ensures that funds are used to benefit students. Schools must also report on Year 6 students’ swimming proficiency and their ability to perform basic water safety.

Test and Exam Results

Schools must link to performance measures on the government’s compare school and college performance service. Primary and secondary schools must publish key performance metrics like the Progress 8 score, GCSE results, and post-key stage destinations. This is especially vital now, as measures like progress scores may be temporarily adjusted due to pandemic disruptions.

The Bigger Picture: Why Information Matters

Publishing information is not a bureaucratic chore; it’s about making schools accountable to the families they serve. Parents and carers get a clear view of the school’s values, priorities, and resources, making them partners in their child’s education. Schools become more than institutions—they become open, accessible, and responsive parts of the community.

For schools, transparency builds credibility. For families, it fosters understanding and trust. Information sharing is a powerful tool, reinforcing the connection between schools and the people they serve.

Imagine, if you will, the moment when a parent first glimpses an Ofsted report. For years, that report has been distilled into a single word—“Outstanding,” “Good,” “Requires Improvement,” “Inadequate.” This word would hold the power to shape perceptions, to define the narrative of a school’s effectiveness, and to chart the course of children’s futures. But what if that single word, in all its simplicity, was hiding more than it revealed?

The new School Report Card system is about peeling back that layer of simplicity and exposing the complex, nuanced reality beneath. It’s about moving beyond a world where schools are judged by a single headline, to a new paradigm where performance is dissected, understood, and acted upon with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel.

In this new system, schools are no longer reduced to a solitary adjective. Instead, they are evaluated across a spectrum of categories—each one illuminating a different facet of the school’s performance. Think of it as the difference between a single brushstroke and a full painting. The categories—Quality of Education, Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Leadership & Management—are not just labels; they are lenses through which the true character of a school is brought into focus.

But what’s truly revolutionary about this shift is not just the granularity of the assessment. It’s the transparency. For too long, parents have been left to interpret those single-word judgments like oracles deciphering ancient runes. Now, they will have a map—a detailed, multifaceted guide to understanding how a school performs across the board. This is not just information; it’s empowerment. Parents can now see where a school excels and where it needs to improve, and they can do so in a way that is clear, precise, and actionable.

Yet, the change goes deeper still. The School Report Card system isn’t just about identifying problems; it’s about solving them. Enter the Regional Improvement Teams, the cavalry riding in not to chastise but to support. Their mission is to work with schools, not against them, providing the expertise and resources needed to turn weaknesses into strengths. This approach is more than just kinder—it’s smarter. It recognises that improvement is not a product of pressure alone but of support, guidance, and collaboration.

The introduction of this system is not a sudden upheaval but a carefully orchestrated transformation. It begins now, with more detailed inspection reports, gradually building towards the full implementation of the School Report Cards in 2025. It’s a phased approach that ensures schools and parents alike can adapt, learn, and grow with the system.

In the end, this shift is about rethinking what it means to assess a school’s worth. It’s a recognition that the old system, with its reductive simplicity, was never enough. The School Report Card system offers a richer, more complex portrait—one that captures not just where a school stands today, but where it could go tomorrow.