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25/08/2005
Record rise in GCSE results
Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are celebrating the biggest increase in A* - C GCSEs pass rates since 1992.
The overall A* - C pass rate rose by 2% this year to 61.2%, the Joint Council for Qualifications reported.
The A* - C pass rate in maths also increased by 1.7 percentage points to 53.4% - the biggest rise for five years, while the same results in English increased by one percentage point to 60.9%. The overall pass rate increased by 0.2% to 97.8%.
However, there have been concerns over the drop in number of students taking languages. The number of students taking French and German fell by 14.4% and 13.7% respectively.
P.E. entries had the biggest increase of entries at 7.5%.
David Hart, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers said: “The results are excellent news for students and teachers, but there are real concerns. It is obvious that students are understandably playing the system by studying their stronger subjects outside the compulsory core of English, Maths and Science. The entry patterns for science and modern foreign languages make this abundantly clear. We are in danger of reaching a position where league tables and Ofsted are driving the system in a way which is not in the interests of the students nor in the interests of this country.”
Mr Hart also described the drop in entries for foreign languages as a “catastrophe”. He urged the government to reverse the policy allowing students to drop foreign languages at 14.
Schools Minister Jacqui Smith said that the government was committed to increasing the take-up of modern languages and said that was why all primary school children would have the opportunity to learn a language by 2010.
However, Mr Hart said: “What is the use of requiring all primary children to study a language by 2010 if they can then drop it at 14?”
The Institute of Directors also expressed concerns at the level of competence in the basic skills of English and Maths in GCSE students. Richard Wilson, Head of Business Policy at the IoD, said: “We have been told by 95% of our members that the Government’s key priority for education should be to improve standards in English and maths. Today’s GCSEs results show that we still have much further to go: only about 52% of pupils achieved a grade C or above in mathematics and only about 60% secured a grade C or above in English.
“We need to ensure that more pupils leave school with good GCSE results in these two key subject areas, otherwise further progression in education and training is difficult.”
(KMcA/SP)
The overall A* - C pass rate rose by 2% this year to 61.2%, the Joint Council for Qualifications reported.
The A* - C pass rate in maths also increased by 1.7 percentage points to 53.4% - the biggest rise for five years, while the same results in English increased by one percentage point to 60.9%. The overall pass rate increased by 0.2% to 97.8%.
However, there have been concerns over the drop in number of students taking languages. The number of students taking French and German fell by 14.4% and 13.7% respectively.
P.E. entries had the biggest increase of entries at 7.5%.
David Hart, General Secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers said: “The results are excellent news for students and teachers, but there are real concerns. It is obvious that students are understandably playing the system by studying their stronger subjects outside the compulsory core of English, Maths and Science. The entry patterns for science and modern foreign languages make this abundantly clear. We are in danger of reaching a position where league tables and Ofsted are driving the system in a way which is not in the interests of the students nor in the interests of this country.”
Mr Hart also described the drop in entries for foreign languages as a “catastrophe”. He urged the government to reverse the policy allowing students to drop foreign languages at 14.
Schools Minister Jacqui Smith said that the government was committed to increasing the take-up of modern languages and said that was why all primary school children would have the opportunity to learn a language by 2010.
However, Mr Hart said: “What is the use of requiring all primary children to study a language by 2010 if they can then drop it at 14?”
The Institute of Directors also expressed concerns at the level of competence in the basic skills of English and Maths in GCSE students. Richard Wilson, Head of Business Policy at the IoD, said: “We have been told by 95% of our members that the Government’s key priority for education should be to improve standards in English and maths. Today’s GCSEs results show that we still have much further to go: only about 52% of pupils achieved a grade C or above in mathematics and only about 60% secured a grade C or above in English.
“We need to ensure that more pupils leave school with good GCSE results in these two key subject areas, otherwise further progression in education and training is difficult.”
(KMcA/SP)
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27 August 2009
'A' Grades Dominate GCSEs
Twenty percent of students taking GCSEs this year scored an A or A*. According to results published today, the figure relates to those taking five or more of the examinations in the national examination. More than 670,000 pupils in England and Wales received their results with both the pass rate and the number of top grades edged up again.
'A' Grades Dominate GCSEs
Twenty percent of students taking GCSEs this year scored an A or A*. According to results published today, the figure relates to those taking five or more of the examinations in the national examination. More than 670,000 pupils in England and Wales received their results with both the pass rate and the number of top grades edged up again.
23 August 2012
GCSE Results Fall For The First Time In History
The number of students awarded and A*-C grade has dropped for the first time in history, official figures have revealed. 69.4% of all GCSEs graded at least a C, which was a 0.4% decrease on last year. Students who received the top A* and A grades were down 22.4% from 23.2%. 63.9% of entries for English were graded A*-C, compared with 65.
GCSE Results Fall For The First Time In History
The number of students awarded and A*-C grade has dropped for the first time in history, official figures have revealed. 69.4% of all GCSEs graded at least a C, which was a 0.4% decrease on last year. Students who received the top A* and A grades were down 22.4% from 23.2%. 63.9% of entries for English were graded A*-C, compared with 65.
25 August 2011
'Record-breaking Results' For GCSE Students
Around 750,000 students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their GCSE results today in another year of record-breaking results. The number of top grades awarded to students has risen every year since the exams were first introduced in 1988 and it was revealed that just under 70% of results were awarded a grade between A* and C.
'Record-breaking Results' For GCSE Students
Around 750,000 students across England, Wales and Northern Ireland received their GCSE results today in another year of record-breaking results. The number of top grades awarded to students has risen every year since the exams were first introduced in 1988 and it was revealed that just under 70% of results were awarded a grade between A* and C.
01 August 2003
Languages need to be better promoted, says Minister
Figures on the number of pupils taking foreign language GCSEs show that more needs to be done to promote these subjects at an earlier age, Schools Minister Stephen Twigg said today. The Minister also said he was keen to see more pupils studying Spanish. It is the second most spoken European international business language, behind English.
Languages need to be better promoted, says Minister
Figures on the number of pupils taking foreign language GCSEs show that more needs to be done to promote these subjects at an earlier age, Schools Minister Stephen Twigg said today. The Minister also said he was keen to see more pupils studying Spanish. It is the second most spoken European international business language, behind English.
22 March 2012
All School Children Should Learn Foreign Languages
A House of Lords committee has said that all primary and secondary school children should be learning a foreign language. According to the committee the UK’s attitude to languages has prevented its students from studying in Europe.
All School Children Should Learn Foreign Languages
A House of Lords committee has said that all primary and secondary school children should be learning a foreign language. According to the committee the UK’s attitude to languages has prevented its students from studying in Europe.
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