GCSE

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what percentage of pupils in (a) comprehensive and (b) maintained schools who achieved at least five grades A* to C at GCSE achieved (i) one or more, (ii) more than one, (iii) more than two, (iv) more than three of those grades in the subjects of business studies, music technology, child development, hairdressing, construction, health and social care, sociology, media, travel and tourism, performing arts, and hospitality and catering, in each year since 1997; (314463)

(2) what percentage of pupils from current National Challenge schools who achieved at least five grades A* to C at GCSE achieved (a) one or more, (b) more than one, (c) more than two, (d) more than three of those grades in the subject of business studies, music technology, child development, hairdressing, construction, health and social care, sociology, media, travel and tourism, performing arts, and hospitality and catering, in each of the last five years.

The information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many pupils in (a) comprehensive and (b) independent schools were entered for GCSEs in (i) English literature, (ii) physics, (iii) chemistry, (iv) biology, (v) history and (vi) a foreign language in 2009. (315622)

The information required is given in the following table:

*Number of pupils entered for GCSEs in selected subjects in comprehensive and independent schools in 2009*
Selected subject	Comprehensive school	Independent school
English Literature	405,303	36,839
Physics	53,532	15,028
Chemistry	53,654	15,671
Biological Sciences	56,884	16,435
History	155,610	23,248
A Modern Foreign Language	211,689	39,225
Source: Achievement and Attainment Tables.

The data relate to pupils at the end of key stage 4.

To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many students resident in (a) Knowsley, (b) Sandwell, (c) Lambeth and (d) England achieved (i) five GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics, excluding equivalents, (ii) at least one grade C at GCSE, excluding equivalents and (iii) three A grades at A-level (A) in 1997 and (B) in the most recent year for which figures are available. (316867)

The information requested for the academic years 2004/05 and 2008/09 for GCSEs and for the academic years 2005/06 and 2008/09 for A Levels is in the following tables.

Previous years’ data can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

*GCSE achievements of students*¹ *resident in Knowsley, Sandwell and Lambeth local authorities*² *and England*³ *at the end of key stage 4*⁴*, 2004/05 and 2008/09*
		Total number of students	Percentage who achieved five or more GCSEs including English and mathematics at grade A-C excluding equivalents*	Percentage who achieved at least one GCSE pass at grade C or above excluding equivalents
2004/05	Knowsley	2,314	28.3	66.9
	Sandwell	3,915	29.3	64.9
	Lambeth	2,257	33.6	74.0
	England³	583,930	41.7	75.3

2008/09	Knowsley	2,066	35.9	70.9
	Sandwell	3,901	34.7	71.8
	Lambeth	2,217	45.8	83.7
	England³	578,629	47.8	80.1
¹ Students attending maintained schools only including City Technology colleges and academies. ² Excludes students whose area of residency is unknown due to missing or invalid postcode information. ³ England figure includes students known to be resident in England or with a missing or invalid postcode. ⁴ Based on students at the end of key stage 4 in the relevant academic year. Source: National Pupil Database (2004/05 final data, 2008/09 amended data)

*A Level achievements of students*^{1, 2} *resident in Knowsley, Sandwell and Lambeth local authorities*³ *and England*⁴*, 2005/06 and 2008/09*
		Total number of students	Percentage who achieved three A grades at A Level⁵
2005/06	Knowsley	259	5.0
	Sandwell	547	4.4
	Lambeth	396	8.3
	England⁴	140,742	8.9

2008/09	Knowsley	272	5.5
	Sandwell	707	4.8
	Lambeth	438	7.8
	England⁴	146,150	10.5
¹ 16-18 year old candidates entered for GCE/Applied GCE A Levels and Double Awards in 2008/09 and GCE/VCE A Level and VCE Double Awards in 2005/06. ² Students attending maintained schools only including City Technology colleges and academies. ³ Excludes students whose area of residency is unknown due to missing or invalid postcode information. ⁴ England figure includes students known to be resident in England or with a missing or invalid postcode. ⁵ Includes GCE/Applied GCE A Level and Double Awards in 2008/09 and GCEA/CE A Level and VCE Double Awards in 2005/06. Source: National Pupil Database (2005/06 final data, 2008/09 amended data)

Volume 506: debated on Tuesday 23 February 2010