Good at maths, great at chemistry?                               

There are two subject comparison tabs, which you can use to compare how a selected group of schools fare in given subjects.

If you are considering 18 schools or fewer, you can use the first tab to bring up a bubble chart like this:

This chart compares the performance of girls at Roman Catholic boarding schools in two A level subjects: chemistry and maths. The results can be revelatory - one might not expect Beechwood, Leweston and St Mary's Cambridge to be the top candidates for a science-mad daughter at a Catholic boarding school. Whatever individual subjects and schools interest you, this chart will produce results which may well surprise you.

How to make comparisons

Step 1

In the top left corner of the subject comparison page choose the qualification and gender in which you are interested. You can opt not to specify them but the results are then an average of all possible values.

Step 2

On the left-hand side of the page, specify the two subjects that interest you. Above the chart you can specify the criterion by which you would like to compare subject performance. (The criteria are discussed in detail in a separate note " subject comparison criteria ".)

What is 'Relative Popularity'?

Relative Popularity measures the popularity of a subject in ‘your’ schools relative to its popularity in comparable schools. Relative Success measures how well pupils do in this subject relative to their performance in other subjects. Weighted AB % is a measure of the raw results achieved and WOW Factor is a combination of the previous three, ie a summing up of overall success. On all measures higher is better.

How do I know which school is which?

If you want to see which school a particular bubble applies to just click on the bubble and the selection will be reduced to the school in question. Click on the bubble again and the original group will be restored.

Should I always select two different subjects?

No. The second subject comparison tab lets you choose just one subject. The result is a list: not as intuitive as a bubble chart but with the advantage that it is not restricted to 18 schools and that you can also see the average numbers taking the exam and their actual grade A/B percentage.