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| Another rise in top GCSE grades | Another rise in top GCSE grades |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Top grades have improved again on average in the GCSE exam entries across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. | Top grades have improved again on average in the GCSE exam entries across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. |
| More than 600,000 students have been getting results, almost one in five of which were an A* or A - up 0.4 percentage point to 19.5%. | More than 600,000 students have been getting results, almost one in five of which were an A* or A - up 0.4 percentage point to 19.5%. |
| The proportion of entries getting grades of A* to C rose from 62.4% to 63.3%, a rise of 0.9. | The proportion of entries getting grades of A* to C rose from 62.4% to 63.3%, a rise of 0.9. |
| The gender gap narrowed, but with girls still ahead. There were more science entries but fewer in French and German. | The gender gap narrowed, but with girls still ahead. There were more science entries but fewer in French and German. |
| A head teachers' leader accused businesses of failing to signal languages as a priority in order to make them an attractive option for youngsters. | A head teachers' leader accused businesses of failing to signal languages as a priority in order to make them an attractive option for youngsters. |
| He also repeated what the government's Dearing Review into the decline of language study said - that the subjects were graded more harshly than other GCSEs, so students tended to avoid them. | He also repeated what the government's Dearing Review into the decline of language study said - that the subjects were graded more harshly than other GCSEs, so students tended to avoid them. |
| However, there was a 3% increase in the number of entries for Spanish and other modern languages as a whole - these include such things as Chinese, Arabic and Polish - were up 5%. | However, there was a 3% increase in the number of entries for Spanish and other modern languages as a whole - these include such things as Chinese, Arabic and Polish - were up 5%. |
| There was a tiny fall in the overall pass rate - entries marked from A* to G - from 98.1% to 98% in the statistics published by the Joint Council for Qualifications - the umbrella group for all the main examination boards. | There was a tiny fall in the overall pass rate - entries marked from A* to G - from 98.1% to 98% in the statistics published by the Joint Council for Qualifications - the umbrella group for all the main examination boards. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Congratulations to all those getting their GCSE results Steve Oglesby, Redcar Send us your comments | |
| At its news briefing, the director general of the AQA board, Mike Cresswell, said: "Are all the usual suspects going to crawl out of the woodwork and berate us for making the exams harder this year?" | At its news briefing, the director general of the AQA board, Mike Cresswell, said: "Are all the usual suspects going to crawl out of the woodwork and berate us for making the exams harder this year?" |
| The total number of full course GCSE entries rose a little to just over 5.8 million. | The total number of full course GCSE entries rose a little to just over 5.8 million. |
| About 70% of those were taken by 16-year-olds, with 14% taken by those aged under 16, 11% by those aged 16 to 18 and 5% by students aged over 18 - of whom there were some 50,000. | About 70% of those were taken by 16-year-olds, with 14% taken by those aged under 16, 11% by those aged 16 to 18 and 5% by students aged over 18 - of whom there were some 50,000. |
| The proportion of entries achieving A* to A rose from 19.1% to 19.5%. | The proportion of entries achieving A* to A rose from 19.1% to 19.5%. |
| Results in both English and maths improved slightly, with more pupils scoring at least a grade C in these two key subjects than last year. | Results in both English and maths improved slightly, with more pupils scoring at least a grade C in these two key subjects than last year. |
| In English, the proportion being graded from A* to C went up from 61.6% to 62.2%. For maths, the proportion rose from 54.3% to 55.2%. | In English, the proportion being graded from A* to C went up from 61.6% to 62.2%. For maths, the proportion rose from 54.3% to 55.2%. |
| Analysts had said schools in England in particular had been under pressure to improve in maths. The government had said its priority was to get the basics right. | Analysts had said schools in England in particular had been under pressure to improve in maths. The government had said its priority was to get the basics right. |
| Girls still outshine boys at almost every subject, but boys continue to catch up across the grades, narrowing the gap. | Girls still outshine boys at almost every subject, but boys continue to catch up across the grades, narrowing the gap. |
| For example, in grades A* to C, the gap narrowed by 0.6 percentage points. | For example, in grades A* to C, the gap narrowed by 0.6 percentage points. |
| For reasons that were not clear to exam officials, there has been a fall in the past two years in the proportion of entries from people in independent schools awarded A* and A grades | For reasons that were not clear to exam officials, there has been a fall in the past two years in the proportion of entries from people in independent schools awarded A* and A grades |
| 'Positive signs' | 'Positive signs' |
| Fewer students are studying foreign languages. | Fewer students are studying foreign languages. |
| Exam entries in German were down 10.2% from last year to just 81,000, while French fell 8.2%. Teenagers at state schools no longer have to study a foreign language after the age of 14. | Exam entries in German were down 10.2% from last year to just 81,000, while French fell 8.2%. Teenagers at state schools no longer have to study a foreign language after the age of 14. |
| There was also a fall in the number of students taking history - entries were down 1.6%. | There was also a fall in the number of students taking history - entries were down 1.6%. |
| Subjects such as media studies, business, and statistics increased sharply. | Subjects such as media studies, business, and statistics increased sharply. |
| GCSEs: KEY FACTS 19.5% entries graded A* or A63.3% graded A* to COverall pass rate 98%French and German entries downSingle science entries up | GCSEs: KEY FACTS 19.5% entries graded A* or A63.3% graded A* to COverall pass rate 98%French and German entries downSingle science entries up |
| Schools minister Jim Knight congratulated students. | Schools minister Jim Knight congratulated students. |
| He said was particularly pleased that the gap had narrowed a little further this year between boys and girls. | He said was particularly pleased that the gap had narrowed a little further this year between boys and girls. |
| "That's very encouraging," he said. "Girls outperform boys all over the western world, we need to do better particularly with English and writing." | "That's very encouraging," he said. "Girls outperform boys all over the western world, we need to do better particularly with English and writing." |
| He acknowledged that some businesses were not happy with school leavers' basic skills. | He acknowledged that some businesses were not happy with school leavers' basic skills. |
| "They tell us that we are doing well on computing skills but we need to do better in English and maths." | "They tell us that we are doing well on computing skills but we need to do better in English and maths." |
| This was why schools were being required to meet "much tougher" standards in these core areas, he said. | This was why schools were being required to meet "much tougher" standards in these core areas, he said. |