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Calls for a rethink of the post-16 curriculum have been strengthened by a rise in the proportion of pupils failing GCSE maths and English exams across England this year.
Exam results released on Thursday showed that almost two in five students failed to achieve a grade of C, or a Grade 4, in a core subject that serves as a gateway to many other qualifications.
According to the Joint Council for Qualifications, which represents exam boards, the percentage of English papers scoring a 4 or above fell from 64.7% last year to 61.9%. The percentage of maths papers scoring a 4 or above fell from 61.1% to 59.5% in 2023.
The results also showed persistent regional imbalances, with pass rates in the North West and North East more than seven percentage points lower than London. The worst performing region, the West Midlands, had pass rates almost 10 percentage points lower than London.
The proportion of pupils achieving at the top levels in Years 7 to 9, the highest level across England, has fallen slightly since 2023 but is still higher than pre-pandemic levels.
Grades showed a recovery to pre-pandemic levels, with only minor tolerances in some subjects, such as math and physics, where the use of official sheets was permitted.
The new Labour government is to review eligibility requirements for students aged 16 and over amid growing concerns that too many students are failing subjects, particularly maths and English.
Almost 40% of children did not achieve a grade 4 or higher (grade C or higher) in core subjects. Students who failed must retake the subjects to fully progress to further education or technical and vocational training.
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has said she is considering changes to the retest policy after many universities and education professionals called for a more flexible system.
announce examine In July, Philipson said it would “breathe new life” into the “outdated” curriculum and provide “greater access to cultural learning and important work and life skills.”
Sam Sims, chief executive of National Numeracy, a charity that promotes maths in everyday life, said the curriculum was “systemically flawed”, leaving hundreds of thousands of young people at a huge disadvantage and needed a complete overhaul “from root to branch”.
“Where this is most evident is in the current GCSE maths retake policy, which is often prolonging an already deeply negative experience for thousands of young people, and the data shows they are incredibly unlikely to succeed under the system,” he added.
Former Labour education secretary Charles Clarke is leading a separate review by the exam board OCR into teaching and assessment in Years 11 to 16 to investigate whether children are being given too many tests.
In a statement, Clarke said many students were already falling short of the required standards before even starting their GCSE courses.
“When students fall behind, it can be a struggle to catch up,” he added. “The problem is exacerbated by a curriculum that leaves teachers little time for other things.”
