Posted on Monday 11th Jan 2016
The Sunday Times is reporting an analysis by Labour that suggests the majority of pupils who resat maths and English GCSEs in 2014 obtained lower grades than the first time they took the exams.
The party has analysed official figures to show that two-thirds of 16 to 18-year-olds who retook GCSE maths failed to improve their grade and half achieved a lower one. For those retaking GCSE English, 60% failed to improve and 40% obtained a lower one.
In total, only 11% of those who resat English and 7% of those who resat maths scored a grade C or above second time around.
Lucy Powell, the shadow education secretary, is quoted.
“English and maths skills are key for our country’s competitiveness, yet this government is failing to drive up standards among young people in these crucial subjects,” she said.
“The government is failing to get enough good maths and English teachers into the system.”
The paper points out that under government rules, pupils who fail to achieve at least a grade C in GCSE English and maths have to resit the exams (with an estimated 250,000 falling into this category each year.
Can't find what you are looking for?
Don't worry, please call us anyway to discuss your ideal job.
Latest News
28/04/25Kent County Council Election 2025: Special Educational Needs and Disabilities - the big debate
Kent County Council Election 2025: Special Educational Needs and Disabilities - the big debate Making such provision work will fall to whichever party takes the reins at Kent County Council (KCC) after the elections on May 1.
11/04/25Leave school phone bans to head teachers, children's commissioner says
Banning phones in schools should be a decision for head teachers and not "imposed nationally by the government", England's children's commissioner has said.
24/03/25Ex-Ofsted boss says education secretary wants 'to please unions'
The former head of Ofsted, Amanda Spielman, has criticised the education secretary and accused her of giving "a great deal of time and attention" to the teaching unions. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Ms Spielman claims "effective reforms are being reversed" - referring to potential changes to academy schools' powers.
20/03/25Childcare costs fall for the first time in 15 years – but nurseries are worried
Annual nursery costs for a child under two in England have fallen for the first time in 15 years, according to the children's charity Coram. It comes as the government continues to roll out its funded childcare scheme, which will provide all eligible working parents of pre-school children, not only three and four-year-olds as currently, with 30 hours of childcare per week from September. However, some nurseries and childminders say they may have to drop out of the scheme as government funding struggles to meet rising costs, including National Insurance increases from April.
17/03/25Poorest children missing more school and further behind after Covid
The poorest children are missing more school and falling further behind classmates, research shared with the BBC suggests. According to new analysis by the Education Policy Institute (EPI) - which looked at pupil performance after the Covid-19 pandemic - children from the lowest income families are now up to 19 months behind peers by the time they are 16 years old.
News Archive