Rise in GCSE pass rate, but a drop in top grades

Across all subjects, 69 per cent of entries were awarded an A*-C, which is an increase of 0.2 per cent from last year. The increase is due in part to improved grades in English, which saw a pass rate rise of 3.6 per cent after a sharp decline in grades in 2014 when changes to assessment were introduced.

Maths also saw improvement, with those achieving a C or above increasing from 62.4 per cent to 63.3 per cent.

Students achieving the top grade of A* across all subjects saw a slight decrease of 0.1 per cent down to 6.6 per cent. The gender gap also narrowed slightly with 73.1 per cent of girls achieving at least a C grade, compared to 64.7 per cent of boys.

School leaders’ union NAHT responded to the results by congratulating students, but also drew focus to the worrying trend of pupils re-sitting GCSEs at age 17. This year saw the number of 17 year olds taking GCSE exams rise by 18 per cent.

Russell Hobby, general secretary of NAHT, said: “We welcome the increase in the number of students getting A* to C grades, which is testament to the hard work of both students and teachers. However, the 18 per cent increase in 17 year olds taking GCSEs does point to an increase in the number of students resitting exams. The government needs to make sure that school leaders are supported to address this trend, ensuring that resourcing is appropriate to offer the courses needed.”

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