Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support is being provided to schools and colleges in areas with higher than average rates of students not achieving a grade 4 in GCSE a) English and b) Maths.

The department has committed £27.7 million this financial year to raise reading standards. We are introducing a statutory reading check for pupils in year 8 to help ensure schools are identifying and providing targeted support to pupils.

In the 2025/26 academic year, the department rolled out a secondary pilot of the English Hubs programme, to help address reading needs for schools most in need. In January 2026, all schools were given access to Unlocking Reading, a continuing professional development programme. English Hubs will continue supporting secondary schools into the 2026/27 academic year, with an increased number of schools receiving intensive support from literacy specialists.

A national network of 40 Maths Hubs is supporting schools to improve teaching quality.  This network aims to improve the teaching of mathematics for all pupils in publicly funded schools by providing school-to-school support focussed on subject knowledge and pedagogy training for teachers, supporting teaching quality as well as workforce recruitment and retention.

Following the Curriculum and Assessment Review, reforms to the national curriculum and GCSEs will deliver clearer, better sequenced content grounded in essential knowledge and skills. Schools also benefit from the universal regional improvement for standards and excellence programme, a sector-led approach providing access to high quality school improvement support.