Ofsted is considering removing national data comparators for special schools from its report cards, following concerns that labelling them 鈥渨ell below average鈥 for pupil numbers could confuse and mislead parents. The report cards provide contextual data about schools to parents, but for metrics like school capacity and pupil demographics Ofsted compares special schools to mainstream schools within the same age phase. For instance, the report for Rotherham-based The Willows School shows 100 per cent of pupils have EHCPs. But it is unusual for pupils to attend a special school without a plan. Yet the report card claimed this is 鈥渨ell above鈥 a national average of 3.1 per cent. Warren Carratt Special schools tend to be considerably smaller than mainstream schools, especially at secondary phase. Analysis of government data shows that an average state special school has 156 pupils. But the , part of the Nexus academy trust, claimed its 190-pupil school is 鈥渨ell below鈥 an average of 1,067, which relates to secondary schools overall, including mainstream. Nexus chief executive Warren Carratt wrote to Ofsted during the fact-checking process post-inspection about this 鈥渦nhelpful and misleading鈥 issue. 鈥淲e should be compared to the special school average,鈥 he said. While the inspectors understood the school鈥檚 context, the issue lies in the published report card, he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 frustrating that something that was supposed to be about more transparency and simplicity for families will now confuse them further.” ‘Room for improvement’ Steve Rollett, Confederation of School Trusts deputy chief executive, said: 鈥淭his is an area where there is room for the report cards to be improved. “Things like proportion of EHCPs and pupil numbers will clearly be quite different for specialist provision, and so, while the current phase-wide comparisons on report cards may be technically correct, they are perhaps of limited use to parents in these cases.鈥 Schools Week flagged the issue with Ofsted this week, questioning its approach. In response, Ofsted said it will 鈥渞eview what data is included in the report cards from published sources, including potentially removing national comparators for special schools鈥. The watchdog said: 鈥淲e include this data in report cards to mirror the published DfE data available to inspectors during inspections. 鈥淲e do not generate this data, but we do ensure that our reporting of it is consistent with how it is reported elsewhere, for example on 鈥榗ompare school performance鈥. Carratt said the response 鈥渁ssures me 鈥 and will assure other special school leaders 鈥 that Ofsted are listening and are willing to continue to make common-sense changes to the report card in these early teething phases. 鈥淭his is a much-needed change that will help families more clearly understand special schools.鈥 Ofsted had already excluded performance data from special school and alternative provision report cards.