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| GCSE attainment has risen again | GCSE attainment has risen again |
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| This year's GCSE statistics for England show another slight rise in the proportion of pupils getting five good GCSEs including maths and English. | This year's GCSE statistics for England show another slight rise in the proportion of pupils getting five good GCSEs including maths and English. |
| But less than half - 47.2% - achieved that target, up 0.9 percentage points on last year, while 64.6% achieved any five or more GCSEs or equivalents. | But less than half - 47.2% - achieved that target, up 0.9 percentage points on last year, while 64.6% achieved any five or more GCSEs or equivalents. |
| New statistics out this year show the proportion of students getting an A* to C grade in a foreign language was 30%. | New statistics out this year show the proportion of students getting an A* to C grade in a foreign language was 30%. |
| In science, 50% of students achieved two or more GCSES at grades A* to C. | In science, 50% of students achieved two or more GCSES at grades A* to C. |
| The overall attainment of passes in any five GCSEs (grades A* to G) or equivalent is up 0.4 percentage points to 91.3%. | The overall attainment of passes in any five GCSEs (grades A* to G) or equivalent is up 0.4 percentage points to 91.3%. |
| Almost everyone - 98.6% - achieved any passes at GCSE or equivalent, up 0.6 percentage points from 2006-07. | Almost everyone - 98.6% - achieved any passes at GCSE or equivalent, up 0.6 percentage points from 2006-07. |
| Girls continued to outperform boys in this year's exams, particularly at the higher grades (A*-C), in which 69.3 per cent of girls achieved five or more compared with 60.1% of boys. | Girls continued to outperform boys in this year's exams, particularly at the higher grades (A*-C), in which 69.3 per cent of girls achieved five or more compared with 60.1% of boys. |
| Gender gap | Gender gap |
| The figures, released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, are the provisional first release of statistics collated from the results which youngsters received at the end of August. | The figures, released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families, are the provisional first release of statistics collated from the results which youngsters received at the end of August. |
| GCSE RESULTS 2008 47.2% pupils with five grades A*-C including English and maths51.9% of girls and 42.8% of boysGrammar schools: 97.6%Comprehensives: 47.2%Academies: 35%Independent schools: 48.6% (International GCSEs not counted) Source: DCSF | GCSE RESULTS 2008 47.2% pupils with five grades A*-C including English and maths51.9% of girls and 42.8% of boysGrammar schools: 97.6%Comprehensives: 47.2%Academies: 35%Independent schools: 48.6% (International GCSEs not counted) Source: DCSF |
| After further checking they will be published on a school-by-school basis in January in the annual "league tables". | After further checking they will be published on a school-by-school basis in January in the annual "league tables". |
| They include, at national level, results from independent schools where on average pupils perform at a higher level than in the state sector - though results have been depressed in recent years by the trend towards International GCSEs in English and/or maths, which are not recognised by the government. | They include, at national level, results from independent schools where on average pupils perform at a higher level than in the state sector - though results have been depressed in recent years by the trend towards International GCSEs in English and/or maths, which are not recognised by the government. |
| They show the government met its target for pupils achieving any five good GCSEs, set in 2004, which was for 60% of 16-year-olds by 2008. The result on that particular measurement was 64.3%. | They show the government met its target for pupils achieving any five good GCSEs, set in 2004, which was for 60% of 16-year-olds by 2008. The result on that particular measurement was 64.3%. |
| Most of the statistics relate however to the performance of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 of the national curriculum, which gives slightly higher results. | Most of the statistics relate however to the performance of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 of the national curriculum, which gives slightly higher results. |
| The new target on that basis - which also requires children to have grade C or above in English and maths - is 53% by 2011. Attainment this year was, as headlined, 47.2%. | The new target on that basis - which also requires children to have grade C or above in English and maths - is 53% by 2011. Attainment this year was, as headlined, 47.2%. |
| Girls are still outperforming boys - and the achievement gap between the genders has not changed. | Girls are still outperforming boys - and the achievement gap between the genders has not changed. |
| Some 51.9% of girls got five good GCSEs including English and maths, compared with 42.8% of boys - a gap of 9.1 percentage points. | Some 51.9% of girls got five good GCSEs including English and maths, compared with 42.8% of boys - a gap of 9.1 percentage points. |
| Among mainland local authorities, attainment of the benchmark five good grades with English and maths ranged from an average 67.2% in Sutton, south-west London, to 29.3% in Hull. | Among mainland local authorities, attainment of the benchmark five good grades with English and maths ranged from an average 67.2% in Sutton, south-west London, to 29.3% in Hull. |
| A-levels | A-levels |
| The statistics on Level 3 qualifications including A-levels have also been published, showing that the average point score per candidate this year was 733.5, compared with 731.2 last year. | The statistics on Level 3 qualifications including A-levels have also been published, showing that the average point score per candidate this year was 733.5, compared with 731.2 last year. |
| But the proportion of candidates who achieved the equivalent of at least two A-levels was down slightly from last year's 95.2% to 94.6%. | But the proportion of candidates who achieved the equivalent of at least two A-levels was down slightly from last year's 95.2% to 94.6%. |
| This is typically regarded as the minimum requirement for university entry and does not seem to have affected the numbers going in to higher education this year. | This is typically regarded as the minimum requirement for university entry and does not seem to have affected the numbers going in to higher education this year. |
| Figures released on Wednesday by the admissions service Ucas showed another strong rise in the numbers of new undergraduates. | Figures released on Wednesday by the admissions service Ucas showed another strong rise in the numbers of new undergraduates. |
| At the top end, attainment was unchanged year-on-year, with again 11.9% of A-level candidates getting three or more A grades. | At the top end, attainment was unchanged year-on-year, with again 11.9% of A-level candidates getting three or more A grades. |
| Liberal Democrat spokesman David Laws said of the GCSE results: "It's completely unacceptable that so many children are still not getting a good basic set of qualifications. | Liberal Democrat spokesman David Laws said of the GCSE results: "It's completely unacceptable that so many children are still not getting a good basic set of qualifications. |
| "These figures highlight the appalling fact that half of all children in English schools are still failing to get five good GCSEs, including English and maths. | "These figures highlight the appalling fact that half of all children in English schools are still failing to get five good GCSEs, including English and maths. |
| "After 11 years of Labour promises, whatever happened to 'education, education, education'?" | "After 11 years of Labour promises, whatever happened to 'education, education, education'?" |
| The Conservatives released figures from the Office for National Statistics showing GCSE results at neighbourhood level. | The Conservatives released figures from the Office for National Statistics showing GCSE results at neighbourhood level. |
| These revealed that in one area of Bradford, just 3% of children achieved the target of five GCSEs including English and maths at grade A*-C in 2007, compared with 100% in one part of Richmond-on-Thames in south-west London. | These revealed that in one area of Bradford, just 3% of children achieved the target of five GCSEs including English and maths at grade A*-C in 2007, compared with 100% in one part of Richmond-on-Thames in south-west London. |
| Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said: "The scale of inequality is truly shocking. It is a scandal that there are pockets of the country where just a tiny minority of children achieve the basic level of qualifications aged 16." | |
| Around the UK | Around the UK |
| The department's statistics relate only to England and there is no government publication summarising UK-wide attainment because of the four devolved education systems. | The department's statistics relate only to England and there is no government publication summarising UK-wide attainment because of the four devolved education systems. |
| In Wales, figures released at the end of September showed 57% of pupils aged 15 at the start of the 2007-08 academic year achieved the equivalent of five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C, two percentage points higher than in the previous year. | In Wales, figures released at the end of September showed 57% of pupils aged 15 at the start of the 2007-08 academic year achieved the equivalent of five or more GCSEs at grades A*-C, two percentage points higher than in the previous year. |
| The 2008 statistics for Northern Ireland are not yet available, but pupils in the province typically perform at a far higher rate than in England and Wales. | The 2008 statistics for Northern Ireland are not yet available, but pupils in the province typically perform at a far higher rate than in England and Wales. |
| Scotland has a different qualifications system. At the level broadly equivalent to GCSEs elsewhere in the UK, 35% of pupils achieved five or more awards at Level 5 or better by the end of S4 (age 15-16). | Scotland has a different qualifications system. At the level broadly equivalent to GCSEs elsewhere in the UK, 35% of pupils achieved five or more awards at Level 5 or better by the end of S4 (age 15-16). |