Introduction

This article explains how to make your own custom Attainment 8 (A8) Estimates, for calculating Progress 8 within KS3/4 cohorts.

A8 Estimates are provided officially by the DfE for each cohort when they have completed Key Stage 4. Separate estimates are available for Overall, English, Maths, EBacc, and Open Attainment 8 for each KS2 prior attainment level. These are then used within Progress 8 calculations in the KS4 performance tables. 

Creating Custom A8 Estimates is entirely optional. These are Attainment 8 Estimates mapped to Scaled Scores, created using the Custom A8 Estimates feature in Sisra Analytics. These can then be used to calculate Progress 8 scores in your KS3/4 reports. You can customise existing DfE estimates and standard deviation, or enter your own from scratch.

This functionality allows you to:

1. Produce Progress 8 scores using your very own A8 Estimates.
2. Remove Progress 8 scores from reports to avoid confusing staff.

Prerequisites

You must be an administrator.

Instructions

Follow these steps to create, modify and publish your Custom A8 Estimates:

• To create Custom A8 estimates:

  1. Select DATA.
  2. Select KS3/4.
  3. Select Cohort.
  4. Select Grades.
  5. Select A8 Estimates to open the Custom Estimates List.
  6. Select Create A8 Estimates:
     
     
  7. From Create A8 Estimates:
     
     
     1. Enter the A8 Estimates Name. This will appear in GRADES > Publish Grades and within any reports using these custom estimates.
     2. Enter the A8 Estimates Description to help identify your specified A8 estimates within any reports using these custom estimates.
     3. Select whether you want to Create New A8 Estimates or copy a specific type of estimate (select one of the four options displayed).
        
        1. Select Create New A8 Estimates to create a set of A8 estimates by either populating the page manually or using a file import:
           
           
           1. Select Scaled Scores for Baseline Type.
           2. Select which year's Official Standard Deviation figures you want to use.
           3. Or check Use Custom?, then enter the value in the text box to the right of Use Custom?
        2. Select Copy existing A8 Estimates from School if you have created a set of custom A8 estimates within any EAP cohort and want to copy the estimates and standard deviations previously set up.
           1. Select Scaled Scores for Baseline Type.
           2. Select which cohort to copy the existing estimates from in Please select cohort to copy from.
           3. Select which set of estimates to copy in Please select A8 estimates to copy.
        3. Select Copy existing Official Estimates if you want to copy a set of official estimates and standard deviations from the DfE. This is useful if you want to export a copy of these, or edit these for particular prior attainments.
           
           Select which year’s estimates you wish to copy in Please select Year to copy from.
        4. Select Copy SISRA Collaborative Estimates if you want to copy a set of estimates and standard deviations calculated within the Sisra Data Collaboration. This is useful if you want to export a copy of these, or edit these for particular prior attainments.
           
           Select which year’s estimates you wish to copy in Please select Year to copy from.
     4. Select Create to load A8 Estimates Detail.

• From A8 Estimates Detail, enter or modify the Attainment 8 Estimates for particular baselines.

  If you have chosen to create a new set of A8 estimates, the table will be blank. Where a set of existing estimates has been copied, the table will be populated with these values:

  

  Either manually edit each KS2 Baseline A8 Estimate or export the table into Excel, modify it, and import it back into Sisra Analytics:

  1. To manually enter or edit the estimates for a baseline:
     1. Select the blue pencil icon.
     2. Enter / edit your estimates.
     3. Select Save.
  2. To export the table in Excel:
     1. In Sisra Analytics select Export A8 Estimates.
     2. Locate the export file in the downloads folder on your device.
     3. Open the file in Excel.
     4. Make and save your changes in Excel.
     5. Save your changes.
     6. In Sisra Analytics select Import A8 Estimates:
        
     7. Select Choose file
     8. Select the file to import.
     9. Select Import. Sisra Analytics completes a file health check to identify any issues with the file:
        
        See the File Health Check Issues section below for more information.
     10. Select Import. Analytics populates the Custom A8 Estimates from those in your file.

  Students with a non-scoring Scaled Score will be excluded from Progress 8 calculations - any Custom A8 Estimates entered for these will not pull through to the reports.

  To stop Sisra Analytics from generating Progress 8 scores in KS3/4 reports to avoid staff confusion, leave the A8 Estimates Detail table blank. Step 3 / Publish Grades.

• After your changes are made, they will be available for publishing from the Grades tab:

  1. Select DATA.
  2. Select Key Stage.
  3. Select Cohort.
  4. Select Grades.
  5. Select Publish Grades.
  6. Select Publish next to the appropriate data set or assessment collection.
  7. Select the Custom A8 Estimates from A8 Estimates (under Custom Estimates):
     
  8. Select Publish.

  See Sisra Analytics: KS3/4 - Publish Grades: Data Sets and Assessments (Admin) for further information.

Outcome

Your grades are published using your custom A8 estimates.

File Health Check Issues

The following file health check issues relate to importing custom Attainment 8 estimates. 

Where issues are identified, select Show/Hide Warning to see the students affected.

Related information

• Sisra Analytics: KS3/4 - Publish Grades: Data Sets and Assessments (Admin).

Updated 21 October 2025 12:00