Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when he plans to review the list of facilitating subjects for Key Stage 5 performance tables.

The facilitating subjects are identified by the Russell Group of universities as A level subjects that are required more often than others by universities. The list includes English literature along with mathematics, further mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry, geography, history and languages (classical and modern).

The Russell Group is an independent organisation; it recently reviewed the list of facilitating subjects and confirmed no change was needed. The Department for Education publishes a measure in the key stage 5 performance tables of the percentage of students achieving AAB grades at A level, including in at least two facilitating subjects.