Gap between top grades at private and state schools grows The gap between private and state schools in top grades has increased compared to last year, according to Sutton Trust analysis. The charity’s analysis found that 48.4% of grades in independent schools were at A/7 or higher, up from 47.5% last year. In contrast, at academies it rose slightly from 21% to 21.2%, and at comprehensives 19.3% to 19.4%. This means the gap between independent and comprehensive schools rose from 28.2 percentage points to 29 percentage points. Grammar schools similarly saw bigger rises than non-selective schools. Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust, said: It is concerning that the gap in attainment between private and state schools has widened this year. This reflects a broader pattern of widening gaps between the most and least well-off young people since the pandemic and cost of living crisis. The stubborn regional disparities in attainment are unchanged. London continues to outperform the rest of the country, and the North East is still the region with the lowest level of top grades. Looking at pass rates (grade 4 and above), all regions have seen drops, but the West Midlands, which had the lowest rate of passes last year, has dropped the most. To close these gaps and enable pupils to reach their potential, we need sustained investment in teaching, particularly in areas with lower attainment. We’re closing the live blog for the rest of the day. Thanks for following, and of course congratulations to everyone who received their results today, and good luck with your next chapter at sixth form or in further education. As usual, science topped the list of most popular subjects in England this year...but, as those sitting at the front of the class will know, science is a bit of a cheat because it is a double award, meaning there were 904,116 exam papers but only 452,058 students. Unfortunately for science, this means it misses out on a podium finish, falling into fourth place behind English language and maths (both compulsory) and English literature. Other subjects attracting more than 200,000 students include history (303,668 sittings), geography and religious studies. When smaller subjects (those attracting 50,000 or fewer students) are excluded, business studies saw the biggest boost in numbers this year at more than 10%. But a special mention here for statistics here which grew by a whopping 31.8% in one year, well above the overall rise in papers (3.9%). And, after years of bad news, finally some buenas noticias/bonnes nouvelles/gute Nachricht for language lovers. French, Spanish, German and “Other Modern Languages” all saw a jump in entries this year (albeit below the overall increase in sittings for French and German). The big winner is Spanish which has seen entries skyrocket in recent years to 123,805 this year, closing in on French which attracted 126,214 students in 2024. Sixth form and further education colleges are urging the government to reconsider the policy of requiring students who do not achieve a grade 4 or above in English and maths to resit their exams. Cath Sezen, Director of Education Policy, Association of Colleges, said: Congratulations to the post-16 students who have achieved a grade 4 or above in English and maths at the second, third or more attempt; this is a big achievement, and we need to celebrate those who are successful. However, we do need to question whether there is a better approach for the 100,000 students who sat English and maths and weren’t successful in achieving a grade 4 or above. Up and down the country there will be teachers and heads of English and maths at a loss about what more they can do to shift the dial, while under pressure to provide English and maths teaching in the 2024/25 academic year to increasing cohorts of young people. After 10 years of condition of funding the time is right to review government policy and look at a different way to support students to gain crucial English and maths skills, rather than putting them through a system which can leave many of them feeling that they have failed again and again. The number of students taking full course Religious Studies in England and Wales at GCSE has remained stable at 233,288 following a 0.5% rise in entries from 2023, making it one of the most widely studied humanities at GCSE. 223,034 students took RS GCSE (full course) in England, an increase of 0.3%. In Wales 10,254 students took the subject, an increase of 6.4%. For the third year running, the number of students taking a GCSE short course rose in England, this year by 9.5% to 20,627. In Wales however, entries fell by 27.1% to 2,201. The Religious Education Council of England and Wales (REC) and the National Association for Teachers of RE (NATRE) are calling called on the Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson, to introduce a National Plan for RE that provides a fair allocation of resources and prioritises the subject as part of Labour’s plans to recruit more specialist teachers. Deborah Weston, chair of the RE Policy Unit, said: Poor quality, tokenistic RE taught by non-specialists without subject training, has a knock on effect on not just our communities, but the depth and quality of a young person’s education. Properly taught, GCSE RS provides invaluable academic and life skills that enables young people to think meaningfully about life’s big questions in relation to their own beliefs and those of others. On average, pupils studying the subject at GCSE do significantly better on the Attainment 8 school performance measure, with disadvantaged pupils scoring a full 9 points higher than those who do not take GCSE RS. If the Labour government is serious about breaking down barriers to opportunities, a national plan for RE that provides a fairer allocation of resources is vital. It would build on the brilliant RE practice that already exists, deliver a new generation of specialist teachers and ensure all students receive their entitlement to an academically rigorous programme of RE. More students studied GCSE geography this year, according to analysis from the Royal Geographical Society. 97,111 students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland sat GCSE geography examinations this year, an increase of 1.4% on last year and up 12% since 2019 (293,319 in 2023, 289,351 in 2022, and 265,169 in 2019). Geography retains its place as the GCSE subject with the sixth highest number of entries. The Royal Geographical Society’s Vice President for Education, Alan Parkinson, said: Geography is the subject that connects the science of how our climate is changing with an analysis of how we need to respond, through mitigation and adaptation, to these changes. We need more climate-aware young people who take what they have learned into the workforce, recognise the impact of their own lifestyles, and are able to solve current and future real-world problems - geographers in other words. Those receiving their GCSE geography results today will already have recognised the relevance and importance of the subject and hopefully will be considering taking their studies further. The Society is looking ahead to the government’s curriculum and assessment review and the opportunity this provides to embed climate change in the geography curriculum at Key Stage 3 and to update and strengthen the GCSE specifications, thus ensuring that all students are introduced to robust climate change knowledge alongside humanity’s potential for collaborative action in challenging times. While girls outperform boys at GCSE level as a whole, there are subjects in which boys tend to do better, maths being one of them. The last pre-pandemic year in which girls outperformed boys was in 2016. They have only done so once since - in 2021 - an entirely teacher-assessed cycle, when, and I quote my esteemed colleague Richard Adams here, they “stormed the last bastion of male academic attainment by capturing more top grades in maths than boys”. Alas, that pattern has reversed since the return of exam-based marking. Indeed this year that gap widened significantly: 22.5% of boys achieved a grade of 7 or above (an A or A* in old money) compared with 20% of girls. By contrast girls stole a (slight statistical) march on boys in the only other (mainly) compulsory subject, English Language, with almost a quarter (23.6%) of girls getting achieving a 7 grade or better, compared with 14.5% of boys, a bigger gap than last year but not as big as pre-pandemic cycles. Gap between top grades at private and state schools grows The gap between private and state schools in top grades has increased compared to last year, according to Sutton Trust analysis. The charity’s analysis found that 48.4% of grades in independent schools were at A/7 or higher, up from 47.5% last year. In contrast, at academies it rose slightly from 21% to 21.2%, and at comprehensives 19.3% to 19.4%. This means the gap between independent and comprehensive schools rose from 28.2 percentage points to 29 percentage points. Grammar schools similarly saw bigger rises than non-selective schools. Sir Peter Lampl, founder of the Sutton Trust, said: It is concerning that the gap in attainment between private and state schools has widened this year. This reflects a broader pattern of widening gaps between the most and least well-off young people since the pandemic and cost of living crisis. The stubborn regional disparities in attainment are unchanged. London continues to outperform the rest of the country, and the North East is still the region with the lowest level of top grades. Looking at pass rates (grade 4 and above), all regions have seen drops, but the West Midlands, which had the lowest rate of passes last year, has dropped the most. To close these gaps and enable pupils to reach their potential, we need sustained investment in teaching, particularly in areas with lower attainment. Outcomes in English have fallen below pre pandemic levels in 2024, while maths performance remains below pre-pandemic levels but has shown signs of recovery this year, according to analysis by the Education Policy Institute. This year, pupils achieved the highest per cent of grade 7 or above in mathematics since 2019, the think tank observed. Louis Hodge, Associate Director for School System and Performance at EPI, said: While outcomes are now broadly the same as they were in 2019, it is important to remember that students receiving their results in GCSEs, BTecs, and other vocational qualifications today have had their secondary education significantly disrupted by the effects of the pandemic. Following the pandemic’s disruption and over a decade of austerity, the education system in England faces significant challenges in the years ahead. Amongst them are the high levels of pupil absence, geographical inequalities, and a growing attainment gap between pupils from low income backgrounds and their peers – equivalent to 19 months of learning by the time they sit their GCSEs. Though top grades have been relatively stable across England today, there have been notable rises for some types of school -- mostly independents and state selectives. The share of GCSE entries at independent (private) schools achieving at least grade 7 has risen by 0.9 percentage points to 48.4%, according to the data released today by Ofqual. State selectives also saw top grades rise by 0.9 points, to 60.3% - the highest share of any school type. By contrast, secondary comprehensives have seen just a 0.1 percentage point rise in top grades - 19.4% of all entries – while secondary moderns saw top grades fall by 0.2 points - 12.6% of all entries. But overall, the biggest rise in top grades was seen at free schools, a type of non-selective state school that isn’t run by local authorities. Top grades at these schools have risen by 1.5 percentage points, to 21.6%. SHAPE subjects (social sciences, humanities and the arts for people and the economy) made up more than half (54%) of GCSE students’ subjects in 2024, according to the British Academy. Data on GCSE entries across England, Wales and Northern Ireland released today by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) and analysed by the British Academy show that there has been an increase in entries to SHAPE subjects of around 4.8% from 2023 to 2024, and around 10.7% from 2019 to 2024. Some SHAPE subjects have become more popular with students who sat their GCSEs this year. Today’s JCQ data on GCSE results in 2024 also shows that: Across England, Northern Ireland and Wales, the highest growing SHAPE subject at GCSE this year was business studies, with around a 9.7% increase from 2023 to 2024, in line with a longer-term increase of 41% between 2019 to 2024. The second highest growing SHAPE subject was music, with an 8.7% increase between 2023 to 2024. However, this recovery followed a 12.5% decrease between 2022 to 2023, and long-term trends show a 6.9% decrease between 2019 to 2024. Other higher growing SHAPE subjects between 2023 to 2024 include other modern languages (8.1%) including Chinese, Polish, Arabic, Italian, and Urdu, economics (6.9%), Spanish (6.2%), and social science subjects (6.2%) like sociology and psychology, all of which have also seen healthy longer-term increases. Finally, Irish, a SHAPE subject which is generally only offered in Northern Ireland, saw entries increase by 14.8% between 2023 to 2024. Children affected by crumbling reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their schools should be able to appeal their grades, the Lib Dems are urging. Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said: As we saw last week with A Level results, there will be thousands of students across the country whose education has been disrupted by crumbling RAAC in their schools, leaving their schooling in turmoil. The estimated 19,700 children taking GCSEs who have been affected by RAAC should be able to access a special appeals process which would allow schools to appeal for higher grades. There has been a growing gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and their more affluent peers and this is something that must be tackled. It is vital that all children, regardless of their background are given the opportunity to reach their full potential. The National Union of Students is helpfully reminding pupils that “your grades do not define you”. Qasim Hussain, Vice President Further Education, said: Congratulations on getting your GCSE results! No matter your grades, you should be so proud of yourself for all the hard work you put in. Your grades do not define you. If you haven’t got the grades you expected, don’t panic. It may feel like the end of the world, but there are lots of ways to achieve your goals, be that sixth form, college or an apprenticeship. If you don’t know what you want to do, make sure to talk to your teachers, or guidance or careers counsellors to help identify what is the right path for you. I am excited to see you as part of the student movement! If you’re going to a sixth form or college, get involved in your students’ union. If you’re going into an apprenticeship, get involved with the National Society of Apprentices. English GCSE resit pass rate falls Alex Clark There has been a big fall in the pass rate of English GCSE resits in England, exam board data shows. It follows recent warnings from social mobility experts of the risks of pupils leaving school never passing the key subject. The share of entries for English Language — compulsory at GCSE — that achieved at least grade 4/C was 20.9% in 2024 among pupils aged 17 and over. That’s down on the 25.9% seen in 2023 and far below the pre-pandemic figure of 30.3% in 2019. By contrast, the pass rate for English Language among 16 year olds taking the exam for the first time has remained stable: 71.2% of 16 year olds in England passed English GCSE the first time round in 2024, versus 71.6% in 2023 and 70.5% in 2019. The government should scrap the requirement to resit English and maths GCSEs for those who fall short of achieving a Grade 4, the Association of School and College Leaders is urging. Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: A significant proportion of students who fall short of achieving at least a Grade 4 GCSE pass in English and maths…will be consigned to a remorseless treadmill of resits in post-16 education under rules drawn up by the last government. As this year’s results show, most of these students once again fall short of the Grade 4 benchmark in their resits. This is completely demoralising It is imperative that the government’s curriculum and assessment review considers how we can do better for these young people – and a good start would be to scrap the requirements which compel mass resits. Today’s results also show significant differences in regional outcomes for GCSEs in England, particularly between the results in London and the South East compared to the North and Midlands. This suggests that relative levels of prosperity and socioeconomic disadvantage continue to play a huge part in educational outcomes, and addressing these gaps must be a key priority for the new government working alongside the education sector. We have to do more to support our schools and colleges. Funding and teacher shortages, combined with post-pandemic issues around mental health, behaviour and attendance, have made circumstances particularly challenging. An improvement to school and college funding in general, and the special educational needs system in particular, is absolutely key to improving matters. The government must grasp this nettle in the autumn budget. The examination system is “urgently in need of reform”, the largest education trade union is warning. Daniel Kebede, General Secretary of the National Education Union, said: Today’s results have been achieved against an examination system that does not plays to all strengths and is in urgently in need of reform. The sheer volume of formal written testing required for GCSEs is beyond burdensome – for teachers and students. In the vast majority of subject entries, it is the only way students are allowed to show what they know and can do, and this simply does not do them all justice. It also causes significant, avoidable stress and anxiety given the high stakes attached to this all or nothing method of assessment. The EBacc forces the arts, vocational and technical subjects increasingly further out of the curriculum. The content is not representative of all students and their communities, and is not sufficiently engaging, inclusive or modern. NEU members welcome the government’s upcoming review of these issues, to ensure future cohorts do not have the same inadequate experience. It is vital that their expertise, as well as student voice, is central to any changes. Desperately high levels of child poverty are also a huge barrier to children and young people’s education, making concentrating and learning an almost impossible daily struggle. Long standing regional disparities in results have continued this year and we know that levels of child poverty are not equal across the country. We will have to wait for further analysis to know if these regional disparities are a reflection of unequal circumstances nationally, but should that be the case it would further highlight the injustices that need addressing. The new cross-government task force on child poverty is welcome because tackling child poverty levels are going to need a joined-up plan. There have been slight increases in all modern foreign language GCSE entries since 2023 and improvements in GCSE French and German results, according to the National Consortium for Languages Education. The increases include: 2.9% increase in French entries 3.5% increase in German entries 6.2% increase in Spanish entries 8.1% increase in other modern foreign languages entries Vicky Gough, British Council schools adviser, said: It’s wonderful to see a rise in the uptake of all languages. Notably, German has increased after experiencing one of the steepest declines last year, while the popularity of Spanish continues to soar, bringing it nearly on par with the number of French entries. The government’s plan to increase teacher numbers is a positive step towards improving language education in the UK.