feat(compare): limit the basket to five per phase, not five overall

A parent choosing a primary and a secondary school at once hit the old
cap of five total. The basket now holds up to five primary and five
secondary schools (ten in all), matching the compare page's phase tabs.

Schools that could land in either tab (all-through, special schools with
phase "Not applicable", unknown phase) count against both groups, so no
tab ever exceeds the five-slot chart palette and point styles.

- lib/compareLogic: compareGroups, fullGroupFor, fitToGroupLimits
- search modal disables only the full group and says which one
- rankings rows carry the phase of the tab they are ranked under
- shared ?urns= links are trimmed per group
- copy: compare metadata, homepage value prop, How it works card now
  name primary and secondary schools (also better for search intent)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

e2e/tests/journeys.spec.ts

@@ -122,9 +122,9 @@ test('the coverage figure is live, not the hardcoded fallback', async ({ page })
 test('the landing page states the real comparison limit', async ({ page }) => {
   await page.goto('/');
   const body = await page.locator('body').innerText();
-  // MAX_SCHOOLS in context/ComparisonProvider.tsx is 5. The hero used to
-  // promise three while a card lower on the same page promised five.
-  expect(body).toMatch(/five schools/i);
+  // MAX_PER_GROUP in lib/compareLogic.ts is 5 per phase. The hero once
+  // promised three while a card lower on the same page promised five.
+  expect(body).toMatch(/five primary and five secondary schools/i);
   expect(body).not.toMatch(/three schools/i);
 });
 

nextjs-app/__tests__/app/metadata.test.ts

@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ describe('C1 snippet copy', () => {
 
   it('no C1 page claims a school count that will drift', () => {
     // The corpus moves with every data refresh; this repo has already shipped
-    // one copy bug of that kind ("three schools" against MAX_SCHOOLS = 5).
+    // one copy bug of that kind ("three schools" against a limit of five).
     for (const [, meta] of pages) {
       expect(meta.description as string).not.toMatch(/\b\d{2},\d{3}\b|\b\d{2},000\b/);
     }

nextjs-app/__tests__/lib/compareLogic.test.ts

@@ -6,8 +6,12 @@
  */
 
 import {
+  MAX_PER_GROUP,
   OFSTED_LEGACY_GRADES,
   admissionsForPhase,
+  compareGroups,
+  fitToGroupLimits,
+  fullGroupFor,
   ofstedDisplay,
   progressBand,
   rcAreaLabel,
@@ -313,3 +317,47 @@ describe('latestValues', () => {
     expect(latestValues(data, [1], 'nope')).toEqual([null]);
   });
 });
+
+describe('basket limits per comparison group', () => {
+  const school = (phase: string | null, urn = 0) => ({ urn, phase });
+  const many = (phase: string | null, n: number, from = 0) =>
+    Array.from({ length: n }, (_, i) => school(phase, from + i));
+
+  it('files each phase under its compare tab', () => {
+    expect(compareGroups('Primary')).toEqual(['primary']);
+    expect(compareGroups('Middle deemed primary')).toEqual(['primary']);
+    expect(compareGroups('Secondary')).toEqual(['secondary']);
+    expect(compareGroups('Middle deemed secondary')).toEqual(['secondary']);
+  });
+
+  it('counts schools that could land in either tab against both', () => {
+    expect(compareGroups('All-through')).toEqual(['primary', 'secondary']);
+    expect(compareGroups('Not applicable')).toEqual(['primary', 'secondary']);
+    expect(compareGroups(null)).toEqual(['primary', 'secondary']);
+  });
+
+  it('a full primary group still admits secondary schools', () => {
+    const basket = many('Primary', MAX_PER_GROUP);
+    expect(fullGroupFor(basket, school('Primary'))).toBe('primary');
+    expect(fullGroupFor(basket, school('Secondary'))).toBeNull();
+    expect(fullGroupFor(basket, school('All-through'))).toBe('primary');
+  });
+
+  it('allows ten schools in total, five per group', () => {
+    const basket = [...many('Primary', 5), ...many('Secondary', 5, 5)];
+    expect(fullGroupFor(basket, school('Primary'))).toBe('primary');
+    expect(fullGroupFor(basket, school('Secondary'))).toBe('secondary');
+  });
+
+  it('an all-through school uses a slot in both groups', () => {
+    const basket = [school('All-through'), ...many('Primary', 4, 1)];
+    expect(fullGroupFor(basket, school('Primary'))).toBe('primary');
+    expect(fullGroupFor(basket, school('Secondary'))).toBeNull();
+  });
+
+  it('trims an oversized shared link per group, keeping order', () => {
+    const urls = [...many('Primary', 7), ...many('Secondary', 3, 7)];
+    const kept = fitToGroupLimits(urls).map((s) => s.urn);
+    expect(kept).toEqual([0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9]);
+  });
+});

nextjs-app/app/(frontend)/compare/page.tsx

@@ -33,9 +33,9 @@ export async function generateMetadata(
     // Deliberately not the homepage's phrase. Two pages chasing "compare
     // schools" is how a site competes with itself; this one takes the tool
     // phrasing instead.
-    title: 'School Comparison Tool: Up to Five Schools at Once | schoolcompare',
+    title: 'School Comparison Tool: Primary and Secondary Schools | schoolcompare',
     description:
-      'Put up to five English schools in one table: SATs and GCSE results against the England average, Ofsted grades, and the distance places were offered.',
+      'Put up to five primary and five secondary schools in England in one table: SATs and GCSE results against the England average, Ofsted grades, and the distance places were offered.',
     keywords:
       'school comparison, compare schools, Ofsted comparison, school admissions, KS2 comparison, primary school performance',
     alternates: { canonical: absoluteUrl('/compare') },

nextjs-app/components/ComparisonChart.tsx

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ interface ComparisonChartProps {
   isSecondary?: boolean;
 }
 
-// One shape per basket slot (MAX_SCHOOLS = 5) — secondary encoding so
+// One shape per slot in a phase tab (MAX_PER_GROUP = 5) — secondary encoding so
 // converging lines stay tellable apart without relying on hue alone.
 const POINT_STYLES: PointStyle[] = ['circle', 'triangle', 'rect', 'rectRot', 'star'];
 

nextjs-app/components/HomeView.tsx

@@ -149,8 +149,8 @@ interface ValueProp {
  * and is backed by the next-deadline bar further down this page.
  *
  * Every claim here must name something the product actually does. Two of the
- * four previously did not: "up to three schools" contradicted MAX_SCHOOLS = 5
- * in context/ComparisonProvider.tsx (and the card further down the page, which
+ * four previously did not: "up to three schools" contradicted the basket limit
+ * (now MAX_PER_GROUP = 5 per phase, in lib/compareLogic.ts) (and the card further down the page, which
  * correctly said five), and "class sizes" described data the codebase has never
  * held — grep for it and this line was the only hit. Both are corrected below
  * against the real fields, which live in components/school/InclusionSection.tsx.
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ const VALUE_PROPS: ValueProp[] = [
     icon: <BarsIcon />,
     tintClass: styles.propIconCompare,
     title: 'Easy to compare',
-    body: 'Up to five schools side by side, on the measures that matter.',
+    body: 'Up to five primary and five secondary schools side by side, on the measures that matter.',
   },
   {
     icon: <HeartIcon />,

nextjs-app/components/HowItWorksSection.tsx

@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ export function HowItWorksSection() {
                   <span className={styles.compareRowVal}>{b}</span>
                 </div>
               ))}
-              <div className={styles.compareFoot}>+ compare up to 5 schools</div>
+              <div className={styles.compareFoot}>+ up to 5 primary &amp; 5 secondary</div>
             </div>
           </div>
           <div className={styles.hiwCardBody}>
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ export function HowItWorksSection() {
             {/* One verb for one feature. The site previously called this
                 "compare" in the nav, "shortlist" in the footer and "pin" here,
                 which reads as three separate things it does not have. */}
-            <p className={styles.hiwDesc}>Compare up to five schools and every metric aligns in the same columns. It works for primary and secondary alike.</p>
+            <p className={styles.hiwDesc}>Compare primary and secondary school performance side by side: KS2 SATs results for primary schools, GCSE Attainment 8 for secondary schools, and Ofsted ratings for both, lined up in one table so you can see where each school is stronger.</p>
           </div>
         </div>
       </div>

nextjs-app/components/RankingsView.tsx

@@ -95,6 +95,9 @@ export function RankingsView({
   const handleAddToCompare = (ranking: RankingEntry) => {
     addSchool({
       ...ranking,
+      // Ranking rows carry no phase, but the tab they're ranked under is
+      // theirs. The compare basket's per-phase limit needs it.
+      phase: isPrimary ? 'Primary' : 'Secondary',
       address: null,
       postcode: null,
       latitude: null,

nextjs-app/components/SchoolSearchModal.tsx

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import { useComparison } from "@/hooks/useComparison";
 import { debounce } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { fetchSchools } from "@/lib/api";
 import { track } from "@/lib/analytics";
+import { MAX_PER_GROUP } from "@/lib/compareLogic";
 import type { School } from "@/lib/types";
 import styles from "./SchoolSearchModal.module.css";
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ interface SchoolSearchModalProps {
 }
 
 export function SchoolSearchModal({ isOpen, onClose }: SchoolSearchModalProps) {
-  const { addSchool, selectedSchools, canAddMore } = useComparison();
+  const { addSchool, selectedSchools, fullGroupFor } = useComparison();
   const [searchTerm, setSearchTerm] = useState("");
   const [results, setResults] = useState<School[]>([]);
   const [isSearching, setIsSearching] = useState(false);
@@ -73,6 +74,19 @@ export function SchoolSearchModal({ isOpen, onClose }: SchoolSearchModalProps) {
     return selectedSchools.some((s) => s.urn === urn);
   };
 
+  // Limits apply per phase group, so a full primary list must not stop a
+  // parent adding secondary schools.
+  const primaryFull = fullGroupFor({ phase: "Primary" }) !== null;
+  const secondaryFull = fullGroupFor({ phase: "Secondary" }) !== null;
+  const limitWarning =
+    primaryFull && secondaryFull
+      ? `You're comparing ${MAX_PER_GROUP} primary and ${MAX_PER_GROUP} secondary schools, the most at once. Remove a school to add another.`
+      : primaryFull
+        ? `You're comparing ${MAX_PER_GROUP} primary schools, the most at once. You can still add secondary schools.`
+        : secondaryFull
+          ? `You're comparing ${MAX_PER_GROUP} secondary schools, the most at once. You can still add primary schools.`
+          : null;
+
   const handleClose = () => {
     setSearchTerm("");
     setResults([]);
@@ -83,10 +97,8 @@ export function SchoolSearchModal({ isOpen, onClose }: SchoolSearchModalProps) {
   return (
     <Modal isOpen={isOpen} onClose={handleClose} title="Add School to Comparison">
       <div className={styles.modalContent}>
-        {!canAddMore && (
-          <div className={styles.warning}>
-            Maximum 5 schools can be compared. Remove a school to add another.
-          </div>
+        {limitWarning && (
+          <div className={styles.warning}>{limitWarning}</div>
         )}
 
         {/* Search Input */}
@@ -112,6 +124,7 @@ export function SchoolSearchModal({ isOpen, onClose }: SchoolSearchModalProps) {
 
           {results.map((school) => {
             const alreadySelected = isSchoolSelected(school.urn);
+            const fullGroup = alreadySelected ? null : fullGroupFor(school);
 
             return (
               <div key={school.urn} className={styles.resultItem}>
@@ -126,12 +139,16 @@ export function SchoolSearchModal({ isOpen, onClose }: SchoolSearchModalProps) {
                 </div>
                 <button
                   onClick={() => handleAddSchool(school)}
-                  disabled={alreadySelected || !canAddMore}
+                  disabled={alreadySelected || fullGroup !== null}
                   className={`${styles.resultButton} ${
                     alreadySelected ? "btn btn-active" : "btn btn-secondary"
                   }`}
                 >
-                  {alreadySelected ? "✓ Comparing" : "+ Compare"}
+                  {alreadySelected
+                    ? "✓ Comparing"
+                    : fullGroup
+                      ? `${fullGroup === "primary" ? "Primary" : "Secondary"} full`
+                      : "+ Compare"}
                 </button>
               </div>
             );

nextjs-app/context/ComparisonContext.tsx

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 'use client';
 
 import { createContext, useContext } from 'react';
+import type { CompareGroup } from '@/lib/compareLogic';
 import type { School } from '@/lib/types';
 
 interface ComparisonContextType {
@@ -18,7 +19,8 @@ interface ComparisonContextType {
   replaceSchools: (schools: School[]) => void;
   clearAll: () => void;
   isSelected: (urn: number) => boolean;
-  canAddMore: boolean;
+  /** The comparison group with no room for this school, or null. */
+  fullGroupFor: (school: Pick<School, 'phase'>) => CompareGroup | null;
   isInitialized: boolean;
   mutate: () => void;
 }

nextjs-app/context/ComparisonProvider.tsx

@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@
 
 import { useState, useEffect, useCallback } from 'react';
 import { getFromLocalStorage, setToLocalStorage } from '@/lib/utils';
+import { MAX_PER_GROUP, fitToGroupLimits, fullGroupFor } from '@/lib/compareLogic';
 import type { School } from '@/lib/types';
 import { ComparisonContext } from './ComparisonContext';
 
 const STORAGE_KEY = 'selectedSchools';
-const MAX_SCHOOLS = 5;
 
 export function ComparisonProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
   const [selectedSchools, setSelectedSchools] = useState<School[]>([]);
@@ -53,8 +53,9 @@ export function ComparisonProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode })
       if (prev.some((s) => s.urn === school.urn)) {
         return prev;
       }
-      if (prev.length >= MAX_SCHOOLS) {
-        alert(`Maximum ${MAX_SCHOOLS} schools can be compared`);
+      const fullGroup = fullGroupFor(prev, school);
+      if (fullGroup) {
+        alert(`You can compare up to ${MAX_PER_GROUP} ${fullGroup} schools at once. Remove one to add another.`);
         return prev;
       }
       return [...prev, school];
@@ -68,7 +69,7 @@ export function ComparisonProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode })
   // Replace the whole selection — used when a shared /compare?urns=… link
   // must take precedence over whatever this visitor had stored.
   const replaceSchools = useCallback((schools: School[]) => {
-    setSelectedSchools(schools.slice(0, MAX_SCHOOLS));
+    setSelectedSchools(fitToGroupLimits(schools));
   }, []);
 
   const clearAll = useCallback(() => {
@@ -80,6 +81,11 @@ export function ComparisonProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode })
     [selectedSchools]
   );
 
+  const fullGroupForSchool = useCallback(
+    (school: Pick<School, 'phase'>) => fullGroupFor(selectedSchools, school),
+    [selectedSchools]
+  );
+
   // Placeholder mutate - actual SWR mutate is in useComparison hook
   const mutate = useCallback(() => {}, []);
 
@@ -95,7 +101,7 @@ export function ComparisonProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode })
         replaceSchools,
         clearAll,
         isSelected,
-        canAddMore: selectedSchools.length < MAX_SCHOOLS,
+        fullGroupFor: fullGroupForSchool,
         isInitialized,
         mutate,
       }}

nextjs-app/lib/compareLogic.ts

@@ -289,3 +289,47 @@ export function latestValues(
     return null;
   });
 }
+
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Basket limits — five per comparison group, not five overall
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+export type CompareGroup = 'primary' | 'secondary';
+
+export const MAX_PER_GROUP = 5;
+
+/**
+ * Which phase tab(s) of the compare page a school can land in. The page
+ * sorts by the data a school actually has, which isn't known when it's added,
+ * so anything that isn't plainly one phase (all-through, special schools
+ * with phase "Not applicable", unknown) counts against BOTH groups. That
+ * keeps every tab at MAX_PER_GROUP or fewer, which the five-slot chart
+ * palette and point styles rely on.
+ */
+export function compareGroups(phase?: string | null): CompareGroup[] {
+  const p = (phase ?? '').toLowerCase();
+  // "Middle deemed secondary" / "Middle deemed primary" match here too.
+  if (p.includes('secondary')) return ['secondary'];
+  if (p.includes('primary')) return ['primary'];
+  return ['primary', 'secondary'];
+}
+
+/** The group that has no room for `school`, or null if it can be added. */
+export function fullGroupFor(
+  basket: ReadonlyArray<{ phase?: string | null }>,
+  school: { phase?: string | null },
+): CompareGroup | null {
+  for (const group of compareGroups(school.phase)) {
+    const used = basket.filter((s) => compareGroups(s.phase).includes(group)).length;
+    if (used >= MAX_PER_GROUP) return group;
+  }
+  return null;
+}
+
+/** Keep schools in order, dropping any that would overflow a group. */
+export function fitToGroupLimits<T extends { phase?: string | null }>(schools: T[]): T[] {
+  return schools.reduce<T[]>(
+    (kept, school) => (fullGroupFor(kept, school) ? kept : [...kept, school]),
+    [],
+  );
+}