‘No progress’ being made in GCSE English and maths attainment amid fears of further pandemic setbacks

In the most recent available figures, just 45% of disadvantaged pupils achieved passes in English and maths, compared with 72% of non-disadvantaged pupils – with particular regions showing even greater attainment gaps.  

In the report, “Building a fairer future – Tackling the attainment gap in GCSE English and maths” the charity also calls for increase in long-term funding for schools with the most disadvantaged intakes amidst fear COVID-19 effects will see the attainment gap grow further.

• The report shows the ongoing attainment gap in GCSE English and maths, highlighting persistent unfair grades for disadvantaged young people long before this year’s algorithm was used.
• In the most recent available figures just 45% of disadvantaged pupils achieved passes in English and maths, compared with 72% of non-disadvantaged pupils – with some regions showing even greater attainment gaps.
• Charity calls for increase in long-term funding for schools with the most disadvantaged intakes amidst fear COVID-19 effects will see the attainment gap grow further – alongside a fair, fast and transparent appeals process for individual young people this year.

A week on from A-Level results, as concerns turn to whether there will be similar unfairness for disadvantaged young people receiving their GCSE results this week, Teach First has laid bare the stark inequality which already existed in England long before this year’s algorithm was used.

In their report released today, the charity shows that in the most recent available figures (2018/19), just 45% of disadvantaged pupils achieved passes at Levels 9-4* in English and maths, compared with 72% of non-disadvantaged pupils. These figures have not changed in the last 3 years, meaning no progress has been made in closing the attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils during this period.

The analysis also highlights the ongoing differences across the country. In Inner London, 59% of disadvantaged pupils achieved a pass grade in GCSE English and maths, but in eight of the ten other regions that figure drops to less than half – between 40% (South West) and 44% (West Midlands).

There is evidence that the attainment gap has widened slightly in five of the ten regions in England in the last few years, raising further concerns about the futures of thousands of young people, including in the North West, Outer London, South East, South West, and Yorkshire and the Humber.

For example, in the South West – the area with the lowest pass rate for disadvantaged pupils in the country – just 40% of disadvantaged pupils achieved a pass grade in GCSE English and maths in 2019, which is down from 41% in 2017. Meanwhile, the pass rate for non-disadvantaged pupils increased from 70% to 72%.

In Inner and Outer London, despite the two regions having the highest pass rates for disadvantaged pupils in the country, the attainment gap remains significant. In Inner London, the situation has not improved at all since 2017, while in Outer London, the attainment gap has widened slightly. The pass rate for disadvantaged pupils in Outer London has remained at 54%, while the figure for non-disadvantaged pupils has increased from 75% in 2017 to 76% in 2019.

Research by the Education Endowment Foundation, Impact of school closures on the attainment gap: Rapid Evidence Assessment (2020), has warned that any progress made in closing the attainment gap in the last 10 years could be wiped out as a result of school closures caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

As a result, Teach First is calling for an increase in long-term funding for schools with the most disadvantaged intakes. The charity says that great teachers make a decisive difference in tackling the attainment gap. To get them to the schools where they are needed most, Teach First are also calling for financial incentives for early career teachers who work in schools facing the greatest challenges.

Russell Hobby, CEO of Teach First, said:

“Last week, we saw many cases of unfairness in exam results, with pupils from disadvantaged areas more likely to be graded down, and many more will be concerned about their GCSE grades this Thursday. This is deeply unfair – and we want to see a swift and transparent appeals process so that young people are not denied the opportunities they have worked so hard for.

“However, this report lays bare that the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their better off peers is something we should be outraged at every year.

“This problem could be made worse by the pandemic – but to tackle it once and for all, we must direct increased long-term funding to schools serving disadvantaged communities so that their pupils and staff can thrive. And introduce a pay premium to incentivise teachers to work in the schools where they can make the biggest difference. Only then can we ensure that millions of young people across the country are not left out of the nation’s recovery.”

David Thomas, Principal of Jane Austen College in Norwich and a Teach First Ambassador, said:

“It’s hugely concerning that across England, disadvantaged children face worse futures because they’re not able to achieve their full potential at school. The progress that’s been made in closing the gap in London is cast iron evidence that your life doesn’t have to be determined by your background, because it’s much less determined by your background in the capital than it is elsewhere. We need to see the gap closed altogether in every corner of our country.”

“Now thanks to Covid-19, pupils have lost 10% of their time in secondary school – and we know that many of them weren’t getting a good education through that period. So we should be shouting from the rooftops about this and taking urgent action.”

The full dataset for the national and regional GCSE English and maths pass rates for 2017-2019 can be found below: