Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many students resat their (a) maths and (b) English GCSEs in the academic year 2017-18.

The Department requires students who leave Key Stage 4 without a GCSE grade 4 or above in English and mathematics to continue to study these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme. Students with prior attainment of grade 3 enrol on GCSE courses; students with prior attainment of a grade 2 or below can enrol in a range of stepping stone qualifications, including Functional Skills.

It is up to providers to decide if and when students are ready to retake an examination. There is no requirement to repeatedly resit examinations.

The number of students entered for an approved English GCSE (or equivalent) qualification in 2018 was 105,521; the number entered for an approved mathematics GCSE (or equivalent) qualification in 2018 was 136,204.^[1]

This information is available as part of the ‘A level and other 16 to 18 results: 2017 to 2018 (provisional)’ national statistics, which were released on the 16th October 2018.

Students who are continuing to study English and mathematics who are not yet at the end of 16 to 18 study, or who had previously achieved a grade 4/C or above in these subjects, will not be included in these figures.

[1] at the end of 16-18 study.