When families compare schools, it is natural to look at results. GCSE and A-level grades matter, and excellent results are something to celebrate.
But there is another question that is just as important:
How much progress do pupils make to achieve those results?
The True Value of a Tranby Education
At Tranby, we believe the strongest picture comes from looking at both. This year, our pupils have achieved exceptional GCSE and A-level results – and, importantly, our Value Added has also reached one of our strongest levels, with pupils achieving results above predictions in every single subject.
This demonstrates the progress our pupils made from their individual starting points.
But What exactly is Value Added?
But What exactly is Value Added?
Value Added (VA) is a way of looking at the progress pupils make during their time at school.
It takes a pupil's starting point into account and considers how the results they eventually achieve compare with what might reasonably have been expected based on their prior attainment.
Attainment tells you where a pupil finished. Value Added helps tell you how far they travelled to get there.
For example, imagine two pupils both achieve a grade 7. One may have been expected to achieve a grade 7 based on previous attainment, while the other may have been expected to achieve a grade 5.
The final grade is the same, but the progress made is very different.
That is why looking at grades alone doesn't always tell the whole story.
why does Value Added matter?
why does Value Added matter?
Every child starts from a different place.
Some pupils arrive at school already achieving highly. Others may need additional support to build confidence, close gaps or discover what they are capable of. Some may have particular strengths in certain subjects, while others find their talents later in their school journey.
A good school should be ambitious for all of them.
Value Added helps us look beyond the final grades and ask whether pupils have made the progress they are capable of making.
This matters at Tranby because we don't believe that a pupil's starting point should determine where they finish.
We want pupils who are already achieving highly to be challenged to go further, while making sure pupils who need more support receive the teaching, encouragement and opportunities they need to succeed.
exceptional results and exceptional progress
exceptional results and exceptional progress
Our 2026 GCSE results were outstanding, with 50% of all grades awarded at grades 7–9, including 32% at grades 8–9 and 17% at grade 9.
Our A-level pupils also achieved a brilliant set of results, with 64% of grades at A–A* and 96% of pupils securing their first-choice university destination.
But we don't want the story to stop at the grades.
Our 2026 Value Added score is outstanding and thanks to our teachers and the remarkable efforts of our brilliant pupils, we achieved an increased VA in every single subject.
It tells us that our pupils are not simply achieving excellent results; they are also making strong progress from their individual starting points. And that is exactly what we want to see.
looking at attainment and progress together
We don't believe families should have to choose between looking at results and looking at progress. The best picture comes from looking at both. A school's results tell you what its pupils achieved. Value Added provides additional context by considering the progress pupils made to get there. When choosing a school, it is therefore worth asking:
- What are pupils achieving?
- How much progress are they making?
- How does the school measure that progress?
- What are the starting points of the pupils?
- How does the school support pupils with different strengths, abilities and needs?
- Where do pupils go next?
- How does the school develop confidence, character and resilience alongside academic achievement?
These questions can tell you much more about a school than a single headline statistic.
How do we assess VA?
How do we assess VA?
Our Value Added data is calculated using assessment methodology developed by CEM, one of the UK's leading educational assessment organisations, now part of the Cambridge family. The CEM predictions are based on data from over 650,000 student assessments from more than 9,500 school cohorts over a period of six academic years.
The CEM system allows us to understand pupil progress at key stages of their education, including Year 7, Year 10 and Year 12, giving teachers and school leaders valuable information about where pupils are starting from, what they are capable of achieving and where additional support or challenge may be needed.
The picture of true success
Of course, progress isn't only about examinations.
Regardless of achieving outstanding results, Tranby is very much a school that focuses on the whole child and always will be.
Success can also look like a pupil developing the confidence to contribute in class, the child who discovers a passion for a subject they never expected to enjoy, the young person who finds a talent on the sports field or stage, or the Sixth Form student who leaves Tranby the ambition to start their own business.
Academic progress is important. But so is the growth that happens alongside it.
Why starting early can make a difference
One of the misconceptions about independent education is that families only need to consider it from Senior School onwards.
In reality, the foundations for future success are laid much earlier.
At Tranby, our pupils can join us from Preschool and benefit from an all-through education that allows teachers to know them as individuals and understand how they learn.
Smaller classes, personalised support and a broad range of academic, sporting, creative and co-curricular opportunities help pupils to develop confidence, curiosity and a genuine love of learning from an early age.
The aim isn't simply to prepare children for the next stage of school.
It is to help them become confident, capable and enthusiastic learners who are ready to embrace whatever comes next.
A Tranby education
At Tranby, we want our pupils to achieve excellent results. But we don't believe that a child's potential can be summed up by a set of grades. We want to know where each pupil starts, understand what they are capable of and help them make the progress needed to get there – and, wherever possible, go even further. This year's results demonstrate both sides of that story.
Exceptional grades. Strong progress. And pupils who are leaving Tranby ready for what comes next.
That is what we believe the true value of a Tranby education looks like. If you are considering independent education for your child, we would love to show you what a Tranby education looks like in practice. The best way to understand whether a school is right for your family is to experience it for yourself. Call us on 01482 657016, email admissions@tranby.org.uk or book a tour to discover Tranby for yourself.