Of those pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in comprehensive schools in England in 2008, 227,380 (42.4 per cent.) achieved a GCSE in all of English, English Literature and Mathematics at grade C or above.
Prior to 2005 statistics are available only for those pupils aged 15 (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August), rather than at the end of Key Stage 4.
Of those pupils aged 15 in comprehensive schools in England in 2002, 184,966 (36.7 per cent.) achieved a GCSE in all of English, English Literature and Mathematics at grade C or above.
Of those pupils aged 15 in comprehensive schools in England in 1997, 114,678 (29.8 per cent.) achieved a GCSE in all of English, English Literature and Mathematics at grade C or above.
The source for this answer is the Achievement and Attainment Tables database.
In this answer all of the given subjects have been interpreted to mean their scientific GCSE syllabuses only. For example, electronics does not include D&T and Electronics or any vocational electronics qualifications. Human physiology and health has been interpreted to mean human biology.
In 2007, there were only 17 pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving a GCSE in core science and at least one GCSE in geology, environmental science or human biology, both at grade A*-G. All of these pupils were educated in the maintained sector.
In 2008, pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving a GCSE in core science and at least one of the requested subjects, both at grade A*-G, are counted in the following table:
A*-G A*-G Maintained sector Geology 294 93.0 Electronics 353 96.7 Astronomy 590 97.4 Environmental Science 1,790 98.1 Human Biology 1,785 100.0 Independent sector Geology 22 7.0 Electronics 12 3.3 Astronomy 16 2.6 Environmental Science 34 1.9 Human Biology 0 0.0
As can be seen from the table, only very small numbers of pupils in the independent sector are counted. Because of those small numbers, it is not possible to give figures for a breakdown into separate grades.
No pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieved passes in both core science and either psychology as a science or environmental and land-based science.
154,276 pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieved a grade B or above in both GCSE English and mathematics in 2007/08.
[holding answer 14 September 2009]: For this answer, a comprehensive local authority has been defined as one where all pupils in the maintained sector are attending comprehensive schools, whereas a partially selective local authority has been defined as having between 0 per cent. and 25 per cent. of 13-year-old pupils on roll attending one or more selective schools. Finally, a selective local authority has been defined as having 25 per cent. or more 13-year-old pupils on roll attending one or more selective schools.
Excluding English, maths and science GCSEs, the five subjects with the most entries by pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2008 (the latest year for which figures are available) are given in the following table, for local authorities that are comprehensive, selective and partially selective.
Rank in descending order of entries 1. English Literature 2. History 3. Art and Design 4. Geography 5. Religious Studies Comprehensive local authorities Number of entries 327,000 122,500 112,600 104,300 101,600 Proportion of all entries (percentage) 20.7 7.8 7.1 6.6 6.4 Partially selective local authorities Number of entries 100,800 40,200 36,000 35,700 35,400 Proportion of all entries (percentage) 19.7 7.9 7.0 7.0 6.9
Rank in descending order of entries 1. English Literature 2. History 3. French 4. Art and Design 5. Geography Selective local authorities Number of entries 43,300 17,400 15,200 15,200 15,000 Proportion of all entries (percentage) 20.3 8.1 7.1 7.1 7.0
Only full GCSEs are included in this analysis. English Literature has been included as a non-core curriculum subject because it extends beyond the literature content in core National Curriculum English programme of study. English GCSE covers both the literature and language content of National Curriculum English.