A significant number of teenagers who did not secure a pass in their maths and English GCSEs are being consigned to a “remorseless treadmill” of “demotivating” resits, headteachers’ unions have warned.
The Government’s policy of compulsory resits in the two subjects at GCSE should be scrapped, education sector leaders have urged.
In England, many students who do not secure at least a grade 4 – which is considered a “standard pass” – in English and/or maths GCSE are required to retake the subjects during post-16 education.
Overall, the proportion of 16-year-old entries in England securing at least a grade 4 in English Language has dropped from 71.6% last year to 71.2% this year. But it was above 2019 when the figure was 70.5%.
In maths, the proportion of 16-year-old entries in England securing at least a grade 4 fell from 72.3% in 2023 to 72.0% this year. But it was above 2019 when the figure was 71.5%.
Ofqual data shows there were 176,270 16-year-olds in England who did not secure a grade 4 in maths this year, while 181,645 did not achieve the benchmark in English Language.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “The current GCSE maths and English resit policy must be scrapped.”
He added: “Those students who haven’t achieved the required grade are forced into repeated resits which are demotivating and can lead to disengagement with their learning.”
Pepe Di’Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said many young people receiving their GCSE results would now “progress with confidence” onto courses in colleges and sixth forms.
He said: “But we must recognise that this is not the story in England for a significant proportion of students who fall short of achieving at least a grade 4 GCSE pass in English and maths, and so will be consigned to a remorseless treadmill of resits in post-16 education under rules drawn up by the last government.
“As this year’s results show, most of these students once again fall short of the grade 4 benchmark in their resits. This is completely demoralising.
“It is imperative that the Government’s curriculum and assessment review considers how we can do better for these young people – and a good start would be to scrap the requirements which compel mass resits.”
A PA news agency analysis of figures by Ofqual shows it is likely that almost 8,300 more 16-year-olds in England did not achieve a grade 4 or above in maths this year compared with last year.
In English language, it is likely that nearly 9,000 more 16-year-olds in England did not secure a grade 4 or above this summer compared with 2023.
Students in England are currently funded to retake maths and/or English until they achieve a GCSE grade 9 to 4.
For students with a grade 2 or below, they can either study towards a pass in functional skills level 2 or towards a GCSE grade 9 to 4.
The latest figures show that UK GCSE entries from students aged 17 and over has risen by 20.5% compared to last year.
When asked whether the rise was due to more students having to resit English and maths, Richard Harry, director of qualifications and assessment at Eduqas exam board, said: “It’s kind of a reflection of the fact that we’ve come out of several years of returning back towards pre-pandemic standards.
“That means that over time as the standard has gone back towards where we were pre pandemic, there are more students that are likely to not achieve the required grade 4 and therefore come back again.”
He added: “We’re starting to see those figures return to where they were pre-pandemic, rather than being a particular uplift this year.”
David Hughes, chief executive of the Association of Colleges (AoC), said: “The number of students resitting GCSE English and/or maths will increase again this year; this will be mainly due to more students coming from secondary schools because of the rising cohort of 16-year-olds.”
He added that colleges faced “immense pressure” on their resources last year when there was a rise in students enrolling onto English and maths GCSEs.
Mr Hughes said: “Those pressures will continue again this year, and as a result it’s likely that students will be taught in larger groups, and that colleges will struggle to recruit and retain enough retired teachers, agency staff and new staff to meet the need.
“Colleges are also likely to have to hire external venues to host the exams, as well as bring in additional invigilators to meet the rising number of additional needs.
“Colleges desperately need additional funding from the Government to deal with this influx in students, both to support capital projects to provide the classroom space, and to hire the English and maths teachers needed to deliver these lessons.”
Sir Ian Bauckham, chief regulator at Ofqual, told PA: “I think the skills and abilities that a grade 4 in English and maths actually evidence are very important skills for the workplace and for life. So it does feel to me appropriate that those subjects continue to be taught post-16.
“The condition of funding resit policy is obviously a matter for the Department for Education (DfE), and once again I’m sure that will be in scope for the curriculum and assessment review.”
A DfE spokesperson said: “Having a good standard of English and maths is key to a good education, future career options and to ensure rising standards.
“We are committed to supporting pupils to get the required grade to ensure they are set up for work and life.
“Spanning across Key Stage 1 through to Key Stage 5, the curriculum and assessment review will bring together education experts, leaders and staff to address the barriers to opportunity including how we can best support 16 to 19-years-olds who don’t achieve grade 4 in these key subjects by the age of 16.”
