diff --git a/e2e/tests/journeys.spec.ts b/e2e/tests/journeys.spec.ts
index ce2ae08..548a060 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/journeys.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/tests/journeys.spec.ts
@@ -86,12 +86,19 @@ test('a report-card school shows a Report Card badge in search results, not its
   // labelled by their old grade (e.g. "Outstanding · 2021"). The list now
   // carries ofsted_rc_date and the badge treats a report card as winning.
   const RC_URN = 138690; // Barclay Primary — has a Nov-2025+ report card
-  const res = await page.request.get(`/api/schools?search=Barclay%20Primary&per_page=5`);
+  const res = await page.request.get(`/api/schools?search=Barclay%20Primary&page_size=5`);
   expect(res.ok()).toBeTruthy();
   const barclay = ((await res.json()).schools ?? []).find(
     (s: { urn: number }) => s.urn === RC_URN,
   );
-  test.skip(!barclay?.ofsted_rc_date, 'precondition: the list must expose ofsted_rc_date for a report-card school');
+  // Hard assertions, not test.skip: if the backend stops exposing
+  // ofsted_rc_date for this report-card school, that IS the regression this
+  // test exists to catch, so it must fail loudly rather than skip.
+  expect(barclay, 'Barclay must appear in the search results').toBeTruthy();
+  expect(
+    barclay.ofsted_rc_date,
+    'the list must expose ofsted_rc_date for a report-card school',
+  ).toBeTruthy();
 
   await searchByName(page, 'Barclay Primary');
   // The Barclay row must be present…
diff --git a/nextjs-app/lib/utils.ts b/nextjs-app/lib/utils.ts
index f62a8ca..febe5d1 100644
--- a/nextjs-app/lib/utils.ts
+++ b/nextjs-app/lib/utils.ts
@@ -691,9 +691,12 @@ export interface OfstedListBadge {
 
 /**
  * Build the Ofsted badge for a school card in the list/map view.
- * Three states:
+ * States, in priority order:
+ *   - Report Card school (ofsted_rc_date set): "Report Card · YYYY" in purple.
+ *     Checked FIRST so it wins over any carried-forward legacy grade — the
+ *     list has no full report_card object, and ofsted_framework is the raw
+ *     event grouping ("Schools - S5"), never "ReportCard".
  *   - OEIF school (ofsted_grade set): grade word + year, colour-keyed
- *   - ReportCard school (ofsted_framework === 'ReportCard'): "Report Card · YYYY" in purple
  *   - Inspected without an overall grade (OEIF post-Sept-2024, where Ofsted no
  *     longer issues an overall judgement): "Inspected · YYYY" — mirrors the
  *     detail page's hero chip so a school never reads as both inspected and