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GCSE

Volume 459: debated on Tuesday 17 April 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many and what proportion of GCSE-age pupils attempted a full GCSE in (a) mathematics, (b) English, (c) science, (d) design and technology, (e) information and communication technology, (f) physical education, (g) history, (h) geography, (i) art and design, (j) music and (k) a modern foreign language in each of the last 10 years; (128400)

(2) how many and what proportion of GCSE-age pupils eligible for free school meals attempted a full GCSE in (a) mathematics, (b) English, (c) science, (d) design and technology, (e) information and communication technology, (f) physical education, (g) history, (h) geography, (i) art and design, (j) music and (k) a modern foreign language in each of the last 10 years.

Information on the number and percentage of pupils attempting a full GCSE by subject is shown in the following tables.

Information on the number and percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals attempting a full GCSE by subject can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

GCSE achievements of 15-year-old pupils1 in all Schools by subject group

Mathematics

English

Double Award Science

Number of 15-year-old pupils

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

1997

586,766

533,992

91

533,348

91

439,480

75

1998

575,210

526,882

92

519,983

90

431,348

75

1999

580,972

536,779

92

530,173

91

441,897

76

2000

580,393

539,934

93

533,227

92

445,100

77

2001

603,318

563,852

93

555,392

92

464,403

77

2002

606,554

568,851

94

560,199

92

466,469

77

2003

622,122

585,017

94

577,427

93

474,451

76

2004

643,560

606,002

94

597,621

93

479,591

75

2005

636,796

600,811

94

593,648

93

447,702

70

2006

648,942

610,516

94

606,598

93

439,919

68

Design and Technology2Computer StudiesInformation Technology3

Number of 15-year-old pupils

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

1997

586,766

138,396

24

14,694

3

1998

575,210

375,453

65

42,651

7

1999

580,972

395,155

68

71,151

12

2000

580,393

404,832

70

81,148

14

2001

603,318

416,015

69

95,150

16

2002

606,554

409,414

67

97,954

16

2003

622,122

414,324

67

75,995

12

2004

643,560

408,525

63

80,565

13

2005

636,796

365,558

57

84,007

13

2006

648,942

337,233

52

89,937

14

Physical EducationHistoryGeography

Number of 15-year-old pupils

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

1997

586,766

80,914

14

207,486

35

259,809

44

1998

575,210

83,665

15

189,070

33

235,908

41

1999

580,972

93,503

16

188,934

33

229,802

40

2000

580,393

96,769

17

190,279

33

217,087

37

2001

603,318

105,651

18

195,231

32

220,378

37

2002

606,554

111,750

18

193,945

32

208,274

34

2003

622,122

110,744

18

194,801

31

200,127

32

2004

643,560

121,433

19

205,539

32

197,123

31

2005

636,796

141,945

22

202,595

32

186,706

29

2006

648,942

152,375

23

208,947

32

184,978

29

Art and DesignMusicFrench

Number of 15-year-old pupils

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

1997

586,766

194,666

33

39,691

7

306,055

52

1998

575,210

180,735

31

38,155

7

307,293

53

1999

580,972

183,157

32

40,709

7

311,384

54

2000

580,393

178,219

31

41,486

7

313,146

54

2001

603,318

180,627

30

41,625

7

321,207

53

2002

606,554

182,056

30

43,470

7

311,847

51

2003

622,122

186,968

30

47,557

8

304,472

49

2004

643,560

187,504

29

50,979

8

289,756

45

2005

636,796

184,814

29

52,228

8

243,177

38

2006

648,942

189,723

29

55,000

8

211,045

33

GermanSpanishOther Modern Languages

Number of 15-year-old pupils

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

Number of pupils entered for GCSE

Percentage of all 15-year-olds attempting subject

1997

586,766

127,510

22

34,454

6

17,791

3

1998

575,210

127,374

22

38,810

7

18,207

3

1999

580,972

129,765

22

39,523

7

18,779

3

2000

580,393

127,437

22

42,288

7

19,423

3

2001

603,318

130,627

22

45,629

8

20,317

3

2002

606,554

124,717

21

48,444

8

20,641

3

2003

622,122

120,659

19

51,299

8

21,508

3

2004

643,560

116,347

18

53,539

8

21,879

3

2005

636,796

98,712

16

51,732

8

17,697

3

2006

648,942

85,247

13

52,478

8

19,148

3

1 Those pupils aged 15 at 31 August at the start of the academic year.

2 Combined Syllabuses for Design and Technology and Information Systems are shown with the main subjects.

3 Also includes Computer Studies, Information Systems and any combined syllabus of which Information Technology is the major part.