Release the Potential of Analysis in your School

Every improvement starts with understanding.

High-performing organisations don’t guess.

Before you can improve outcomes, refine processes or solve problems, you need to know what’s really happening.

That’s the Potential of Analysis.

It turns information into insight, highlights opportunities for improvement and helps you focus on the changes that will make the biggest difference.

Formula One

One of the most popular sports across the world at the moment is Formula One.

Here a matter of millimetres or milliseconds can make the difference between finishing first or last. Aerodynamics are checked constantly for any extra speed, the cars are fine-tuned with the latest data to make them go faster and faster. All parts will be updated at a cost of millions of pounds if it means the car will go a simple second quicker.

“Data is becoming increasingly important – not just in the world of Formula One, but the world in general. In F1, we use our data on our relentless search for performance, across all functions of the team – both at the track and at the factory,”

Toto Wolff – Head of Mercedes F1

Even the driving styles of each driver is manipulated with guidance from the computers for every corner – what line to take, when to brake, how much to brake. Every lap is important and the smallest change could make the biggest difference.

As Lewis Hamilton, possibly the greatest racing driver of all time, has said

“In racing there are always things you can learn, every single day. There is always space for improvement, and I think that applies to everything in life.”

Lewis Hamilton

Knowledge creates understanding | Analysis creates change.

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The Greatest Breakthroughs rarely come from Monumental Change.

More often, they come from identifying small opportunities, making informed decisions and continually refining what works. Analysis provides the evidence to do exactly that, revealing patterns, trends and insights that might otherwise go unnoticed.

James Dyson

Sir James Dyson is now worldwide known for his vacuum cleaners. Every one has taken years to perfect with every single part patented for the maximum efficiency and power. At first no-one took him seriously. It took him more than more than five years and thousands of failed attempts to perfect his invention.

I made 5,127 prototypes of my vacuum before I got it right but I learned from each one. That’s how I came up with a solution.

James Dyson

Every time he looked at his invention in detail – analysing the outcomes in the smallest data. Every little part of your hoover has been patented and changed many times within the design team back at the factory in Wiltshire.

“Risk aversion is a hapless approach for a company that’s hoping to develop new technology. It’s tempting in a downturn. But long-term research and development, expensive and often filled with failure as it is, is the only route to discovering it. By taking the cautious path, companies risk a drought of ideas.”

James Dyson

Assessment provided the evidence | Analysis revealed the next steps.

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What if the biggest opportunity for improvement in your school is already sitting in your data?

Every organisation wants to improve. Schools are no different. The challenge isn’t a lack of information. It’s knowing how to turn information into meaningful action.

The schools that make the greatest progress don’t simply gather data. They identify misconceptions, pinpoint curriculum gaps and target interventions where they will have the greatest impact. The smallest insight can lead to significant gains in attainment, progress and pupil confidence.

Question Level Analysis

Rather than focusing solely on overall outcomes, Question Level Analysis (QLA) breaks assessments down into individual questions, topics, skills, and cohorts.

Suddenly, patterns emerge.

• A cohort may be performing well overall but struggling consistently with fractions.
• A year group may demonstrate strong problem-solving skills but weaker mathematical reasoning.
• One class may excel in reading comprehension but require additional support with inference.

These insights are often invisible when looking only at aggregate scores.

It enables teaching staff to look in detail at their school results and notice the pattern or trends that can make a difference. This could be a certain topic or subject that requires more investment or a wider issue that needs addressing across the whole school.

How Question Level Analysis helped to improve our Reading EXP

In December 2016, Seely Primary and Nursery School was graded by Ofsted as “Requires Improvement“. Like many schools, leaders faced the challenge of identifying precisely where pupils were struggling and ensuring that improvement efforts were targeted where they would have the greatest impact. To support their school improvement journey, the school used DAISI Education’s Question Level Analysis.

The analysis revealed that inference was a significant weakness, particularly in reading. Rather than addressing this within individual classes, the school made inference a whole-school improvement priority. Extensive CPD was provided for staff, teaching approaches were refined, and leaders closely monitored the impact of these changes on pupils’ learning.

Over time, these targeted interventions contributed to a sustained rise in KS2 SATs outcomes. Importantly, this improvement was recognised beyond assessment data alone. When Ofsted returned three years later, the school’s progress was reflected in an improved judgement of Good, providing independent validation of the impact of its school improvement strategy.

Regarding the Question Level Analysis from DAISI Education, the school commented:

“In my role as deputy headteacher of a big school as well as assessment coordinator, there is no way I would have the time or capacity to complete QLA to the level and in the detail that the DAISI team do. They save me days of work and the information this gives me allows us to develop whole school targets that we can show have improved the attainment of our pupils.”

Deputy Headteacher and Assessment Co-ordinator

The answers were already there

Analysis created the pathway to improvement.

How Question Level Analysis made Mock SATs worthwhile

When one primary school completed its mock SATs, leaders wanted to look beyond the headline figures. They knew the results showed what pupils had achieved, but not why.

Using DAISI’s Mock SATs Analysis, staff explored performance at question level and uncovered a clear pattern. Pupils were achieving well on straightforward questions but struggling when asked to explain their reasoning, justify answers and apply knowledge in unfamiliar contexts. Armed with this insight, teachers adapted their approach. Greater emphasis was placed on reasoning in mathematics, while reading lessons focused more heavily on evidence-based responses and deeper comprehension skills.

By the time pupils sat their KS2 SATs, staff felt confident that their support had been directed where it would make the greatest difference. The process transformed the mock SATs from a measurement exercise into a genuine tool for school improvement, helping to drive stronger outcomes for pupils and providing leaders with clear evidence to inform future planning.

When we look back at the impact, one of the most encouraging outcomes was the improvement we saw in our KS2 SATs results. Having clear evidence gave us the confidence to focus our efforts where they would have the greatest impact, and over time that contributed to stronger outcomes for our pupils.

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the service to other schools. It transforms assessment data from a collection of scores into meaningful insight, helping schools make the most of the information they already have and turn it into actions that genuinely improve outcomes for children.”

Headteacher

Every answer tells a story.

Analysis revealed where improvement could be achieved.

Release the Potential of Analysis in your School

The world’s most successful organisations don’t improve by chance. Whether it’s Formula 1 teams gaining tenths of a second or companies like Dyson refining every detail of a product, progress comes from analysing performance, identifying opportunities and acting on the evidence.

High-performing organisations don’t guess. They analyse, adapt and improve.

Why can’t we do we the same in education?

Behind every assessment is a wealth of information about pupil understanding, misconceptions and opportunities for progress. The challenge is finding it.

Small patterns.

Recurring misconceptions.

Gaps that, once identified, can be addressed through targeted teaching and intervention.

Our analysis helps uncover the insights that matter most, so teachers and leaders can focus their time, energy and resources where they will have the greatest impact.

Because when you understand why pupils achieved the results they did, you can make better decisions about what happens next.

Release the Potential of Analysis in your school today…

DAISI Education Question Level Analysis

Trusted by school leaders for over 15 years, our Question Level Analysis does the heavy lifting.

With clear commentary, powerful visualisations and intuitive charts, we highlight exactly where pupils excelled, why learning gaps exist, and what action is needed next.

And the results speak for themselves…

Over 80% of schools that used our Question Level Analysis consistently went on to improve attainment, demonstrating the power of turning assessment data into targeted action.

In recognition of the difference our work makes, DAISI Education was named a World Class Supplier by the World Class Schools Network in 2019, celebrating our success in helping schools transform data into meaningful improvement.

This is why schools continue to trust DAISI year after year: less time analysing data, more time improving outcomes.

Read our Case Studies to find out more

Thank you for reading this article.

Find other Blog articles by clicking here

• From Numbers to Narrative – Find Your Story for Ofsted
• From Assessment to Action – Turn Data into Insight
• “The 1% Principal” (or how to change your School)
• QLA – The Tool you cannot afford to miss
• Never Stop Learning
• Release the Potential of Analysis
• What do you find in a DAISI QLA?
• How can you sustain progress from Primary School?
• What will Ofsted Inspections look like in your school?