A slight increase in top grades and standard passes to a four-year high
The percentage of GCSE entries achieving the top grades - at A/7 or above -
The proportion of entries achieving C/4 also rose to 62.9 per cent, up 0.6 percentage points againstlast year.
Passes at G/1 remained the same, with 98.3 per cent of entries achieving this both this year and in 2018.
However, overall, today’s data suggests that results have stabilised as students and teachers have got used to the new qualifications.
Boys’ boost in top grades vanishes
Some24.1 per cent of girls achievedthe top grades this year, compared with a 17.6 per cent figure forboys - creating a gender gap of 6.5 percentage points, the same as last year.
However, the gender gap at the standard pass rate of C/4has continued to narrow, with 71.7 per cent of girls gaining C/4 grades and above compared with 62.9 per cent of boys. This narrows the gap in performance from 9.1 percentage points last year to 8.8.
Language entries revive
. French entries are up by 3.2 per cent, while Spanish entries are up by 7.5 per cent.
Spanish has exceeded 100,000 entries for the first time ever, according to data from the Joint Council forQualifications.
These figures are somewhat surprising given that the Department forEducation said itwas“struggling hugely” with GCSE entry numbers in MFL last year.
Girls achieve moretop grades in Stem
.
In chemistry, girls improved their share of top grades by 1.1 percentage points, in physics by 2.1 percentage pointsand in maths by 0.6 percentage points.
And in biology, often thought of as the science where girls dominate, the reverse happened, with boys narrowing the gender gap at grades A/7 or above - with the proportion achieving these grades upby 1.1 percentage points.
In English literature, boys also narrowed the gender gap in achieving C/4 grades and above - 66.4 per cent of boys’ entries achieved this level, up by 0.6 percentage points since last year.
