The number of students who have achieved top GCSE grades has slightly decreased compared to 2023 but remains above pre-pandemic levels.
Results Show a Decrease From 2023
The Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) released figures showing that 21,8% of UK GCSE entries received 7/A or above, above the 20,8% in 2019 but a decrease from the 22,0% awarded in 2023.
Record High for GCSEs Taken
The JCQ also reported that this year’s total number of exam results issued in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland was the highest recorded thus far.
50,000 Additional Grades Awarded
The GCSE entries rose by 4.8% to just over 6.1 million, resulting in an impressive 50,000 additional top grades awarded compared to the previous year.
Disruptions Due to COVID in Secondary Education
Many students who just recently received their GCSE results were in Year 7 when the pandemic broke out. The pandemic forced the closure of schools, which caused significant disruptions to their early years of secondary education.
Disruptions Due to COVID in Secondary Education
However, it is commendable that these students have improved their overall grades compared to those received during the pandemic.
Education Secretary Applauds Students
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson applauded the students, saying they had “remarkable resilience” as they coped with adversity from the COVID pandemic.
Disparities Depicted in the Results
She added that the results are “likely to show the same unacceptable, entrenched regional disparities we have seen time and time again.”
Differences Seen in Results From Public and State Schools
Data from the exam regulator Ofqual showed an increase in the difference between top GCSE results of private and public schools in England this year.
29 Percentage Point Difference
In 2024, 48,4% of students in private schools achieved a grade 7 or higher compared to 19,4% of students in state schools, an alarming disparity of 29 percentage points, up from 28,2 percentage points the previous year.
Grading System Changed in England
The grade systems have changed somewhat. The traditional A-G grades are used in Wales and Northern Ireland; however, they have been replaced with a 9-1 system in England.
Numbers Now Represent Letter Grades
The highest score now is a nine, a four is equivalent to a C grade, and a seven roughly equals to an A.
Gender Gap Between Results Narrowed
The gap between top GCSE students, girls and boys, has slightly decreased this year, with 24,7% of female entries receiving a grade 7/A or higher, 5,7 percentage points more than the 19,9% of male entities that received the same score.
Performance Gap Has Minimised
Thus, the 5,7 percentage point gap is the smallest difference between boys and girls recorded since 2009, indicating that the performance gap between genders at the highest grade levels has narrowed to its lowest point in fifteen years.
Top Grades Awarded Exceeds Pre-Pandemic Levels
One notable fact is that due to disruption in the education system caused by COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021, results were based on teacher assessments as opposed to exams. This increased top GCSE and A-level grades, but the proportion of top grades this year exceeded levels before the pandemic.
Prime Minister Extends His Congratulations
Prime Minster Sir Keir Starmer took to X to congratulate those who received their GCSE results, saying they did an “incredible job.”
The Decision of Student’s Next Steps Is Important
The Minister for School Standards, Catherine McKinnell, told ITVX News that it is “really important” that students from all over the country can decide on their next steps.
Equal Opportunity Should Be Given to All
She added, “I think it’s really important that we make sure that every child has those opportunities, and we know that’s not always the case, depending on where you live in the country (or) what kind of school you’ve gone to.”
Areas and Schools Determine Opportunities
She also said that she is “deeply concerned” about the education system’s inequalities as private school students are outperforming those in state schools by a growing margin at the highest grade levels and areas, and schools are “too big and influence” on opportunities.
Breaking Barriers So All Youngsters Can Reach Their Potential
Phillipson has said, “we are committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity- including by delivering a broader, richer curriculum- and ensuring that young people in all corners of our country can reach their potential.”
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