Around 40 per cent of students failed to pass maths or English language GCSEs this year, in national exam results that showed the north and the Midlands falling further behind London and the south.
In figures that will lend further weight to calls to rethink the post-16 curriculum, results published on Thursday showed a rising number of students failed to achieve a grade 4 pass, equivalent to a C, in the core subjects that serve as a gateway to many other qualifications.
The share of English papers graded 4 or above was 61.9 per cent, down from 64.7 per cent last year, said the Joint Council for Qualifications, which speaks for exam boards. The share of maths papers graded 4 or above fell to 59.5 per cent from 61.1 per cent in 2023.
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