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Record Results in English and Maths
Dated: 21/08/2008
Record Results in English and Maths
BOYS BREAK THROUGH 60 PER CENT A*-C BARRIER
More young people than ever are setting themselves up for a bright future having mastered English and maths at GCSE, Schools Minister Andrew Adonis said today.
The 2008 GCSE results, released today, show the overall A*-C pass rate has increased by 2.4 percentage points to 65.7 per cent and English has risen 0.7 percentage points and maths 1.1 percentage points compared to last year.
There are also encouraging trends emerging in science, where entries in Biology increased by 35.3 per cent (22,313 additional entries), Chemistry by 29.4 per cent (17, 437) and Physics by 29.1 per cent (16, 992).
In addition to the increase in entries, Chemistry recorded 94 per cent A*-C grades, closely followed by Physics with 93.5 per cent and Biology at 91.1 per cent.
Boys are showing signs of closing the attainment gap in the core subjects. This year the pass rate at A*-C for boys in English was up 0.9 percentage points, whereas for girls it was up 0.4 percentage points. In maths the improvement for boys was 1.2 percentage points as opposed to 1.0 percentage points for girls.
Highlights from the 2008 results include:
- Overall A*-C pass rate now stands at 65.7 per cent, an increase of 2.4 percentage points;
- Boys pass rate increased 2.4 percentage points to break through the 60 per cent barrier, with a pass rate at A*-C of 62.1 per cent;
- English saw a 0.7 percentage point increase in A*-C grades;
- Maths saw a 1.1 percentage point increase in A*-C grades; and
- Spanish entries were up by 4.9 per cent.
Andrew Adonis paid tribute to the hard work of teachers and pupils as he commented on the results.
He said: “I would like to congratulate all the young people who have worked so hard for their results but I’d also like to say well done to teachers up and down the country whose skills have unlocked the talents of so many young people.
“I particularly welcome the record results in English and maths and the sharp rise in entries in Biology, Physics and Chemistry. The overall increase in pass rates and top grades is built firmly on improvements in the key subjects of English and maths
“Our message to young people is to stay on in education or training, whatever your results, and go on to fulfil your full potential. The September Guarantee means that all those completing year 11 are guaranteed, by the end of September, the offer of a suitable opportunity to stay in learning - regardless of their results. Almost half of all young people who stay on will qualify for the Education Maintenance Allowance, a weekly payment of up to £30 a week to help with staying on.
“September sees the first five new Diplomas offered in schools and colleges. We will also see increased support for schools not achieving 30 per cent of their pupils through 5 GCSEs at A*-C including English and maths through the National Challenge.
“In modern languages, entries in French are down but entries in Spanish are sharply up. There is more to be done to encourage language learning in schools which is why we are making languages compulsory in primary schools supported by over £50m of funding this year. To make this possible, we are also training a new generation of primary subject teachers of modern languages.”
Commenting on the science results, Professor John Holman, Director of the National Science Learning Centre, said:
"Today sees the results for the first cohort of students to take the new suite of GCSE science courses, offering the flexibility to prepare students for future specialist study as well as laying the foundations of scientific literacy. It is particularly good to see that the number of students choosing to study three separate science GCSEs continues to increase."
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