Alps KS4 and KS5 Customer Benchmarks in 2025 – Analysis and Recommendations

Last updated 4 September 2025

This article will serve as the index for all updates with regards to our Alps Customer Benchmarks across August and September 2025. In it, we will publish links to the articles providing analysis and recommendations for each qualification type as we generate the customer benchmark and release into Connect and Summit.

Since September 2022, we have provided schools and colleges in England with analysis based on data submitted to Alps from customers. In Wales this customer benchmark has been available since 2023. This analysis has been made available through a benchmark toggle in Connect.

The customer benchmarks were generated in response to the unique nature of examination outcomes resulting from pandemic disruption.

Benchmark decisions this year are complex. This article is detailed and encompasses all analysis from our customer benchmarks, decisions for deployment of the benchmarks and recommendations.

If you want a helpful summary, you can find it here: https://support.alps.education/portal/en/kb/articles/recommendations-for-benchmark-selection.

This article is available to colleagues from the benchmark selection lozenge in the top bar of Connect/Summit. 

Here is a summary of recommendations:

Benchmark toggle in Connect

For certain years we provide schools and colleges with the option of viewing your analysis against two different benchmark data sets, usually against a national benchmark (based on data received from the DfE) or an Alps benchmark (based on data received from customers/alternative dataset). Where available, this analysis can be accessed through the benchmark toggle in Connect or Summit, which allows you to select the benchmark set which best fits your analysis needs. 

Important: 2025 KS4 Customer benchmarks

2025 Alps Customer Benchmark timeline

We will generate Customer Benchmarks for the following qualifications on the following dates after which we will publish articles outlining decisions and recommendations (links in relevant sections below):

In England, including Jersey:

• A level: In Connect and Summit by 27 August 2025 – complete and in platform
  
  BTEC and Cam Tec: In Connect and Summit by 4 September 2025 – IMPORTANT: see article for vocational KS5 below 
  WJEC L3: In Connect and Summit by 10 September 2025 – IMPORTANT:  see article for vocational KS5 below 
  UAL: In Connect and Summit by 18 September 2025 – IMPORTANT:  see article for vocational KS5 below 

In Wales:

• A level: In Connect and Summit by 8 September 2025 
• WJEC L3: In Connect and Summit by 12 September 2025

Key Stage 4 Wales: The dataset used is the dataset from 2019. There is no toggle for KS4. Any analysis on the ‘Customer’ benchmark toggle will be blank. 

England: 2025 KS5 and KS4 Benchmarks Tables

The grids below shows which benchmark is being used for the ‘National benchmark set’ and the ‘Alps Customer benchmark’ toggles in Connect and Summit across the last 5 years. Rationale for recommendations can be found in the sections below the tables. 

KS5 – England

The orange highlighted boxes indicate our recommended benchmark set for analysis of Alps 2025 outcomes.

KS4 – England

A level England Alps Customer benchmark:  

BTEC/Cam Tec England Alps Customer benchmark:

WJEC England Alps Customer benchmark:

Wales: 2025 KS5 Alps Customer Benchmarks

The default benchmark for analysis on Results Day was the National Standard Dataset used in 2019. The Alps Customer Benchmarks will be available on 8 September 2025.

The article in the section below presents an overview of the 2025 Alps Customer benchmark for Wales. Our recommendation is to use this benchmark to analyse results from Monday 8th September. 

The situation for examination outcomes in 2025 for A level is once again unique this summer:

In Wales

• Students completing their Key Stage 5 courses in 2019 have slightly elevated prior attainment baselines from Key Stage 4 than the cohort in 2019.
• The overall outcome standards were higher than in 2019 but not enough to balance the elevated prior attainment baseline.
• Our recommendation is to use the 2025 Alps Customer Benchmark to analyse results from 2025 (Toggle 2)
• Our recommendation for target setting and tracking for 2025/26 is to use the 2019 National Standard (Toggle 1)
• See article in section below for more information on these decisions

The tables below show a summary of the datasets currently in Connect and Summit for each Wales KS5 & KS4 cohort. The datasets are different depending on whether you select the ‘National’ or the ‘Customer’ toggle.

Wales KS5

Note that the customer benchmarks will include A level data from Welsh schools and colleges only.

Note that the customer benchmarks will include A level data from Welsh schools and colleges only.

Wales KS4

1. A level Wales Alps Customer Benchmark:

2. WJEC Wales Alps Customer Benchmark:

Switching your Benchmark