Five ways to feel more prepared for results day with Data Insights

Results season can feel fast-moving and overwhelming. Between reviewing performance, identifying trends and planning next steps, schools and colleges are often expected to quickly turn complex data into meaningful action.

Data Insights is AQA's post-results analysis tool, designed to help schools, colleges and Trusts explore performance data in a clear, visual and accessible way.

It helps make the results analysis process clearer and more manageable, enabling you to move more swiftly from results to understanding through benchmarking, trend analysis and detailed performance insight.

Ahead of results day, here are five simple ways the platform can help you feel more prepared.

1. Check your myAQA access before results day

One of the simplest ways to reduce stress on results day is to make sure you and your colleagues can access Data Insights ahead of time.

Simply log in to your myAQA account, open Centre Services and you’ll find Data Insights in the “post-exams” section. Checking access early can help avoid unnecessary delays during busy results periods.

Need help with your myAQA login? Let us know.

Video: How to log into Data Insights

2. Familiarise yourself with the dashboards

Data Insights is designed to surface the information that matters most – quickly and clearly. The Overview Dashboard provides high-level visual summaries of performance, including:

• Grade distribution by entries
• Qualification-level grade overviews
• GCSE English and Maths grade distributions

Spending a little time exploring these areas now can help you feel more confident navigating the platform when results arrive.

Video: Introduction And How To Use Data Insights

3. Think beyond individual grades

Data Insights helps you explore performance in more detail, making it easier to spot patterns, compare outcomes and understand results in context.

These views can help provide additional context around results, supporting conversations, planning and next steps after results day.

• Trends over time
• Mark distribution
• Question and skills analysis
• Comparisons against school/college and national data

If you’re part of a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT), quickly compare performance and trends across centres within your Trust.

“Data Insights gives us a much clearer, more aligned view of performance across our Trust. It helps school and Trust leaders identify trends, compare outcomes and have more informed conversations that support strategic decision making across our schools.”

Nimish Lad, Director of Partnerships and Development, Creative Education Trust

If you’d like to explore these features in more detail, our short user guides include support on:

• Detailed performance analysis
• Student results analysis
• MAT-level performance views and comparisons

Video: Using Data Insights for Multi Academy Trusts

4. Use benchmarking and comparisons to support conversations

Results day often prompts important discussions across departments, leadership teams and Trusts. Data Insights helps support you with those conversations – providing clear comparisons and contextual insight, including:

• Performance over time
• Group comparisons
• National benchmarking
• Student group analysis

These insights can help you move more quickly from interpreting results to planning meaningful next steps. Take a closer look at our step-by-step guides covering:

• How to analyse Trust-wide results using Data Insights
• Using benchmarking and group comparisons
• Exploring detailed performance views

5. Focus on clarity, not complexity

Results season already comes with enough pressure. Data Insights is designed to reduce overwhelm with clear visuals, accessible analysis and downloadable reports that you get the clarity you need.

Whether you’re reviewing department performance, planning interventions or identifying trends across cohorts, the platform helps surface the insights that deserve your attention – without unnecessary complexity.

Clarity when it matters

Data Insights has been designed and developed to help you feel more confident on results day and throughout the academic year by turning complex data into clear, actionable insights.

From visual summaries and benchmarking to detailed performance analysis and student-level comparisons, the platform is designed to support professional judgement and help educators focus on what matters most – understanding performance, supporting students and planning next steps with confidence.

Want to explore Data Insights in more detail?

Visit our new Data Insights Hub to access everything you need to get started, build confidence and make the most of the platform.