GCSE and A-Level Results 2024: Progress Amidst Persistent Disparities
The release of GCSE and A-Level results in 2024 has painted a complex picture of educational achievement across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. While overall performance has shown improvement, particularly in England, persistent regional disparities and the widening gap between private and state schools continue to raise concerns about educational equity.
A-Level Results: Unexpected Improvement
Contrary to expectations, A-level results in England saw a notable increase in top grades. The proportion of entries achieving A* grades rose to 9.3%, from 8.6% last year to 7.7% in 2019. Similarly, the percentage of As and A*s combined increased to 27.6%, surpassing last year’s 26.5% and 2019’s 25.2%.
This improvement has been attributed to the strength of the cohort, who benefited from sitting actual GCSE exams rather than receiving teacher-assessed grades. This experience likely enabled students to make more informed choices about their A-Level courses.
Regional Disparities Persist
Despite the overall positive trend, significant regional differences remain a cause for concern. London continues to lead with the highest proportion of top grades at 31.3%, while the East Midlands lags at 22.5%. The north-south divide is particularly stark, with areas in northern England still trailing behind London and the southeast.
However, there is a glimmer of hope for the North East, which saw its share of top grades increase from 22% to 23.9%, slightly narrowing the gap with the top-performing regions.
The Rise of Mathematics
One of the most striking trends in this year’s A-Level results is the unprecedented popularity of mathematics. For the first time, math entries exceeded 100,000, making it the most popular A-Level subject. Further mathematics also saw significant growth, with entries up 20% from last year[1].
GCSE Results: A Widening Gap
The GCSE results paint a more concerning picture, particularly in terms of regional disparities. The gap between the highest-performing region (London, with a 72.5% pass rate) and the lowest-performing region (West Midlands, with a 63.1% pass rate) has widened to 9.4 percentage points, up from 8.7 last year and 6.8 in 2019.
The Private-State School Divide
Another concerning trend is the growing attainment gap between private and state schools. Analysis by the Sutton Trust reveals that 48.4% of grades in independent schools were at A/7 or higher, compared to just 19.4% in comprehensive schools. This gap has increased from 28.2 percentage points last year to 29 percentage points this year.
Addressing the Challenges: READ Foundation’s Impact
READ Foundation UK is taking proactive steps to support underprivileged students in response to these persistent disparities. Through a partnership with ClassTutor, a national online private tutoring provider, READ Foundation offers financial scholarships to students facing economic challenges, enabling them to access private tuition they would otherwise be unable to afford.
This initiative has already supported hundreds of students throughout England, and the impact is evident in the 2024 examination results. Nearly all students who received READ Foundation scholarships performed exceptionally well, demonstrating the potential of targeted support in narrowing the achievement gap.
Looking Ahead
While the overall improvement in A-Level results is encouraging, the widening regional and socioeconomic gaps demand urgent attention. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has identified regional disparities as a key concern for the new government. Similarly, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to ensure that everyone’s path is determined by their talent, skills, and ambition, rather than their background.
Addressing these challenges will require sustained investment in teaching, particularly in areas with lower attainment. It will also necessitate a comprehensive review of curriculum and assessment practices to ensure a balanced approach that values STEM and creative subjects.
The success of initiatives like READ Foundation’s scholarship programme highlights the potential for targeted interventions to make a significant difference. As we move forward, it will be crucial to scale up such efforts and implement systemic changes to create a truly equitable education system that provides opportunities for all students, regardless of their geographic location or socioeconomic background.
To learn more about the tuition scholarship fund, please visit the website of our project partner, ClassTutor, at online tutors.
