Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 24 January 2024 to Question 10317 on English Language and Mathematics: GCSE, how many and what proportion of young people from a disadvantaged background achieve a pass in GCSE (a) English and (b) maths in 16-19 education by their prior grade at age 16 in the corresponding qualification only.

The attached table presents post-16 English and mathematics GCSE attainment by prior attainment in those subjects by disadvantage status in 2021/22, the latest academic year where the data is available. It is based on the cohort of young people who turned 19 in 2021/22, but were educated in the state-sector at age 15 to enable analysis by pupil characteristics. Prior attainment is determined by matching a young person’s attainment post-16 to that pre-16 as recorded by awarding bodies. In some cases, prior attainment will not be known if the young person has no record of taking any assessment.

Trends in attainment at GCSE post-16 should be read alongside trends in other level 2 qualifications taken by the 16 to 19 cohort, as there could be changes over time in the types of qualifications young people enter at that level. Further information on level 2 qualifications in English and mathematics entered by disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged young people over time is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/data-tables/permalink/0c8db91f-4d8a-4300-e6ed-08dc2185b3c8.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the summer exam series for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years were cancelled. Instead, for 2020/21, pupils were only assessed on the content they had been taught for each course. Schools were given flexibility to decide how to assess their pupils’ performance, for example through mock exams, class tests, and non-exam assessment already completed. GCSE grades were then determined by teachers based on the range of evidence available and they are referred to as teacher-assessed grades. Attainment rates for these periods should be considered with this in mind.

We know that English and mathematics attainment is important and want to ensure everyone leaves education with the English and mathematics skills they need to participate in society, and climb the ladder of opportunity towards better jobs, better wellbeing and better options for the future. That is why all 16 to 18-year-olds who do not hold a GCSE grade 9 to 4 (a standard pass grade) or equivalent qualification in English and/or mathematics are required to continue studying these crucial subjects. Students with a GCSE grade 2 or below are not required to sit GCSEs again and can study towards a pass in functional skills level 2. To further enhance the support for these students as part of our plans for the Advanced British Standard, the department has announced increased investment of around £150 million per year across each of the next two years.