diff --git a/backend/app.py b/backend/app.py
index cf23dff..e50dd50 100644
--- a/backend/app.py
+++ b/backend/app.py
@@ -330,6 +330,11 @@ async def get_schools(
     if page_size is None:
         page_size = settings.default_page_size
 
+    # Schools with no performance data (special schools, PRUs, newly opened, etc.)
+    # have NULL year from the LEFT JOIN — keep them but skip the groupby/trend logic.
+    df_no_perf = df[df["year"].isna()].drop_duplicates(subset=["urn"])
+    df = df[df["year"].notna()]
+
     # Get unique schools (latest year data for each)
     latest_year = df.groupby("urn")["year"].max().reset_index()
     df_latest = df.merge(latest_year, on=["urn", "year"])
@@ -351,6 +356,9 @@ async def get_schools(
             )
         df_latest = df_latest.merge(prev_rwm, on="urn", how="left")
 
+    # Merge back schools with no performance data
+    df_latest = pd.concat([df_latest, df_no_perf], ignore_index=True)
+
     # Phase filter — uses PHASE_GROUPS so all-through/middle schools appear
     # in the correct phase(s) rather than being invisible to both filters.
     if phase:
diff --git a/backend/data_loader.py b/backend/data_loader.py
index c791a4b..1cfbbc1 100644
--- a/backend/data_loader.py
+++ b/backend/data_loader.py
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@ _MAIN_QUERY = text("""
         p.sen_ehcp_pct
     FROM marts.dim_school s
     JOIN marts.dim_location l ON s.urn = l.urn
-    JOIN marts.fact_performance p ON s.urn = p.urn
+    LEFT JOIN marts.fact_performance p ON s.urn = p.urn
     ORDER BY s.school_name, p.year
 """)
 
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ def load_school_data() -> pd.DataFrame:
     if not _df_cache.empty:
         print(f"Total records loaded: {len(_df_cache)}")
         print(f"Unique schools: {_df_cache['urn'].nunique()}")
-        print(f"Years: {sorted(_df_cache['year'].unique())}")
+        print(f"Years: {sorted(_df_cache['year'].dropna().unique())}")
     else:
         print("No data found in marts (EES data may not have been loaded yet)")
     return _df_cache
diff --git a/docker-compose.yml b/docker-compose.yml
index c411b4a..f72bb7a 100644
--- a/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/docker-compose.yml
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ services:
       POSTGRES_USER: schoolcompare
       POSTGRES_PASSWORD: schoolcompare
       POSTGRES_DB: schoolcompare
+      POSTGRES_INITDB_ARGS: "--locale=C --encoding=UTF8"
     volumes:
       - postgres_data:/var/lib/postgresql/data
     ports: