GCSE

It’s a scene that can still have the power to terrify, even years after the event. Rows of hunched backs, bent over exam papers, with barely a sound other than the chewing of pens or frantic scribbling on scores of sheets of paper.The way…

The largest gap on record between top GCSE grades awarded to pupils in London and those in north-east England has prompted warnings of a “continuing widening” in the north-south education divide.School leaders in the north-east accused the…

Higher fall in proportion of top grades in England than in other UK nationsMichael GoodierThe figures show the gap between the nations for top grades has increased compared with last year, as England brought their grades back in more in…

Children in England who are referred to social services at any point in their childhood are twice as likely to fail GCSE maths and English, according to new research published ahead of results day on Thursday.Analysts looked at 1.6m pupils’…

Encouraging adolescents to feel capable and purposeful -- rather than just happy -- could improve their academic results as well as their mental health, according to new research which recommends changing how wellbeing is supported in…

Languages and the creative arts are falling out of favour among GCSE and A-level students, who are increasingly opting for more vocational subjects such as computing and business studies.Provisional figures for England show exam entries for…

Only 2% of GCSE students study a book written by a female author, according to research by campaigners who are urging exam boards to diversify their set text lists to curb the rise of misogynistic views.Research by End Sexism in Schools…

“Previous research published by the Department for Education (DfE) shows that pupils with high rates of absence get worse results overall than pupils who attend more often,” you report (Third of 15-year-olds persistently absent from school…

This year’s A-level and GCSE exams had a surge in the number of students penalised for potential cheating or disruptive behaviour, with possession of mobile phones and smartwatches the biggest single cause for sanctions.Ofqual, the exam…

The gap in GCSE grades between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is the widest in a decade after this summer’s results in England, with school leaders predicting spending cuts will make matters worse.The figures published by the…