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GCSE Results Show Sharp Fall In Grades

GCSE grades have fallen across the country, newly released results show.

The figures published by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ) show that 71.3% of girls’ entries were awarded at least a C grade, compared with 62.4% of boys.

Last year 73.1% of entries from girls were awarded a C grade or above, while 64.7% of boys’ entries reached the same level.

In total, just over two-thirds of entries in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (66.9%) were awarded A*-C grades, a 2.1% drop on last year’s figures.

This fall is the biggest since the introduction of GCSEs in 1988, Professor Alan Smithers said.

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Professor Smithers, director of Buckingham’s Centre for Education and Employment Research, added: “A*-C grades rose continuously from 1988 to 2011; since then the major fall has been from 2012 to 2013, down 1.3 percentage points from 69.8 to 68.1.

"The fall this year is larger than might have been expected.”

Michael Turner, director general of the JCQ, said that the changes in A*-C grades have created “a very complex national picture.”

He added: "We have seen shifts not only between subjects, but also across qualifications and year groups.

“This is driven by several factors, including performance measures and re-sit policies in England.”

This year's figures include students aged 17 and older who re-sat exams after previously failing to score at least a C grade in English and maths.

Under stipulations brought in by the coalition government, teens in England are now required to continue studying these subjects until they reach this level.

Andrew Hall, chief executive of exam board AQA, said: “Not surprisingly, the 17-year-old entries are massively up by 23.2% - absolutely dominated by resitting English and maths in England.

"We are getting much much more of a focus here on 16 and 17-year-olds resitting.”

This is the last year in which GCSE results in English literature, English language and maths are scored with grades A* to G.

From next summer pupils will take reformed courses, marked with numbers from 9 for the top-performing students down to 1 for those who have struggled.

The changes will be rolled out across another 17 subjects by summer 2018.