GCSE results: English, Maths pass rates hit 10-year low

Pass rates in GCSE English and maths have fallen to their lowest level in ten years, sparking concern about the skills gap facing pupils as they leave school.

‎This summer, 58.3% of pupils across the UK passed their maths GCSE, down from 59.5% last year and the weakest result since 2013.

English also slipped, with 60.2% securing a pass, a drop of 1.7 percentage points. That figure matches a previous low in 2016 and is the worst result since 2004.

‎‎Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has warned that too many children are leaving school without the skills needed for work and life. She told The Telegraph that pass rates in English and maths were especially low among white working-class pupils, and said this was affecting the country’s productivity.

‎Today’s results mean two in five pupils are failing to achieve a pass in these compulsory subjects, even though most jobs require them. A growing number of older pupils are also being pulled into retakes, where failure rates remain high. Among resit students, just 23.1% achieved a pass in English and 18.2% in maths.

‎Top grades stayed broadly stable compared with last year, with 21.9% of GCSE entries awarded a grade 7 or above. That is slightly higher than in 2019 but only a marginal rise on 2024.

‎‎The gap between boys and girls narrowed to a record low. Boys made small gains in top grades, with 19.4% achieving grade 7 or above, while girls dipped slightly to 24.5%.

‎Resits remain controversial, with critics saying the system leaves students stuck in repeated cycles of failure. Professor Becky Francis, leading Labour’s curriculum review, has suggested the model may need to be scrapped, arguing that it is “not yet fully delivering its intended purpose.”

‎Phillipson told The Telegraph: “There is one statistic that stands above the rest. In 2024, only 19 per cent of white British, working-class children achieved a strong pass in maths and English GCSE.

‎Fewer than one in five of all white British children on free school meals are leaving school with the maths and English skills to succeed in work and life.

‎“It’s not just the life chances of those children that are being damaged; it’s also the health of our society as a whole. Swathes of human capability and productivity lost.”

‎‎Spanish has now overtaken French as the most popular foreign language at GCSE, with more students also opting for music and PE. In contrast, entries for single sciences such as physics, chemistry and biology have dropped, raising concerns about the future pipeline of science students at higher levels.

‎Regional differences remain marked. London continues to lead on top grades, while the West Midlands recorded the lowest pass rate. The gap between regions has widened since before the pandemic, a trend education charities say shows “stubborn” inequality.

‎The divide between private and state schools has narrowed slightly this year. Nearly half of pupils in independent schools achieved top grades, compared with about one in five at comprehensives and academies. Grammar schools remain the strongest performers, with nearly two-thirds of entries at grade 7 or above.

‎Nick Harrison, chief executive of the Sutton Trust, said: “Today’s results show that regional differences in attainment remain stubbornly entrenched, with London continuing to streak ahead in terms of top grades. These regional gaps have widened significantly since 2019 and show no signs of improving.”

‎Private schools, already under pressure from higher fees following new VAT rules, face fresh competition from the state sector, where comprehensive schools saw the sharpest improvement in performance this year.

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