Of the 2,741 comprehensive schools published in the 2009 Achievement and Attainment Tables that have at least one pupil on roll at the end of Key Stage 4:
1,296 (47.3 per cent.) entered no pupils for GCSE physics.
1,302 (47.5 per cent.) entered no pupils for GCSE chemistry
1,247 (45.5 per cent.) entered no pupils for GCSE biology
The Government have introduced a statutory entitlement for all pupils in maintained schools1 to be able to study at least two science GCSEs, specifically this includes core and additional science or the three separate science GCSEs of physics, chemistry and biology.
1 Not including Academies and City Technology Colleges.
In maintained schools in England in 2009, 50.7 per cent. of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieved five or more GCSEs at grade A*-C or the equivalent, including English and mathematics GCSEs.
The following table counts the number of schools performing above this average.
Leicester East Midlands England Number of maintained schools performing above average 7 109 1,436 of which have been approved for closure in 2010 0 0 1 Notes: 1. The seven schools in Leicester are included in the count of schools in east midlands, which are included in the England count. 2. The school approved for closure is in Rochdale local authority and is to address an issue of surplus places there.
The following tables provide a breakdown of the number and percentage of pupils achieving five or more A* to C grades in their GCSEs by the end of key stage 4, banded by expenditure per pupil in local authority maintained secondary schools and academies respectively.
Number and percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving five GCSEs at grade A* to C, excluding equivalents, including English and maths GCSEs, banded by expenditure1, 2 per pupil3 in authority maintained secondary schoolsExpenditure based on cash terms figures as reported by local authorities as at 10 March 2010Expenditure per pupil3Number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C, excluding equivalents, including English and maths GCSEs4Percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C, excluding equivalents, including English and maths GCSEs4Less than or equal to £4,500112,70660.8More than £4,500 and less than or equal to £5,00087,24751.7More than £5,000 and less than or equal to £5,50037,60442.1More than £5,50036,69734.8 1 School based expenditure includes only expenditure incurred directly by the schools. This includes the pay of teachers and school-based support staff, school premises costs, books and equipment, and certain other supplies and services, less any capital items funded from recurrent spending and income from sales, fees and charges and rents and rates. This excludes the central cost of support services such as home to school transport, local authority administration and the financing of capital expenditure.2 Total expenditure is based upon the financial year 2008-09.3 Pupil numbers include all those pupils attending maintained establishments and are drawn from the 2009 DCSF Annual Schools Census.4 Including attempts and achievements in previous academic yearsNotes:1. These figures cover only maintained schools and only those for which both 2008-09 financial data and 2009 academic achievement data are available.2. The number of schools within each banding (ascending) are 934, 857, 479 and 686 respectively.Source:Financial data are taken from local authorities’ 2008-09 Children, Schools and Families Outturn Statements (formally section 52) submitted to the DCSF while pupil numbers are drawn from the DCSF January 2009 Schools Census. GCSE details are from the Achievement and Attainment Tables (AAT).
Expenditure1 per pupil Number of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C, excluding equivalents, including English and maths GCSEs3 Percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving five or more GCSEs at grade A* to C, excluding equivalents, including English and maths GCSEs3 Less than or equal to £4,500 0 0.0 More than £4,500 and less than or equal to £5,000 972 42.3 More than £5,000 and less than or equal to £5,500 1,400 30.4 More than £5,500 4,308 33.6 1 Academy allocations include a VAT grant and a Local Authority Central Services Equivalent Grant (LACSEG), local authority maintained schools do not receive these grants. Academies receive a VAT grant because they incur VAT on purchases and services, whereas local authority maintained schools in general do not or can reclaim it. LACSEG is paid to academies to enable them to purchase/provide services normally funded and provided to maintained schools from the local authority’s central budget, which an academy does not have access to. 2 The number of schools within each banding (ascending) are 1, 11, 29 and 81 respectively. 3 Including attempts and achievements in previous academic years. Source: GCSE details are from the Achievement and Attainment Tables (AAT).
The Government and local authorities allocate significant additional funds to schools that support deprived pupils, who tend to achieve less well than their more advantaged peers. This is reflected in the data. It remains a high Government priority, as set out in “Investing for the future, protecting the front line: school funding 2011-13” (published on 15 March 2010), to ensure that additional funds go towards children who need extra support to reach their potential, so that the gap between the attainment of disadvantaged children and the rest continues to narrow. Further, many local authorities choose to give additional funding to schools based on low attainment or low prior attainment.
In 2009, out of the 316,050 pupils at the end of key stage 4 who achieved five or more GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and mathematics (including equivalents), 12,170 did so by passing a qualification equivalent to one or more GCSEs.
The requested figures are given in the following table.
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving 5+ GCSEs at grade A*-C or the equivalent and at least one: Qualification1 equivalent2 to two GCSEs 7,428 11,069 38,243 85,935 128,687 Qualification equivalent2 to four GCSEs 54,489 70,454 73,308 56,782 72,467 Number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 achieving 5+ GCSEs at grade A*-C or the equivalent including English and maths GCSE and at least one: Qualification1 equivalent2 to two GCSEs 6,302 8,632 26,716 55,506 78,802 Qualification equivalent2 to four GCSEs 28,660 37,040 38,087 28,329 34,840 1 Other than a GCSE double award. 2 Equivalent qualifications counted have been passed but not necessarily at the level of A*-C.
The information requested is provided in the following table:
GCSE excluding equivalents results1 for pupils2 who sat English, English literature, history, at least two sciences, a modern language and mathematics in 2009Number of pupils enteredPercentage of pupils enteredNumber of pupils achieving grade C or abovePercentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 achieving grade C or aboveComprehensive schools72,11713.945,3048.7Maintained schools3,484,70614.655,9489.7 1 Revised data.2 Figures are for pupils at the end of Key Stage 4.3 Includes pupils attending all maintained mainstream schools including Academies and City Technology Colleges.4 Figures for comprehensive schools are included in those for maintained schools.Source:School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables
The information requested is provided in the following table:
Number of pupils entered Percentage of pupils entered as a proportion of all pupils Number of pupils achieving grade C or above Percentage of pupils achieving grade C or above Comprehensive schools 403,511 77.7 229,009 56.8 Maintained schools3 443,485 77.9 258,689 58.3 1 Revised data. 2 Figures are for pupils at the end of Key Stage 4. 3 Includes pupils attending all maintained mainstream schools including Academies and City Technology Colleges. Source: School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables
[holding answer 1 March 2010]: 2003 is the earliest year of which figures are available.
36 (3.8 per cent.) white British boys and 58 (4.7 per cent.) white British girls eligible for free school meals achieved three or more A grades at A-level. Percentages indicated are of white British students eligible for free school meals of the appropriate gender who were entered for at least one GCE/VCE/Applied A-Level and Double Awards in 2003.
The figures relate to 16 to 18-year-olds (age at start of academic year, i.e. 31 August 2002) in maintained schools only who were eligible for free school meals. The figures do not include the achievement of students in further education sector colleges previously eligible for free school meals.
To answer this would go over the disproportionate cost threshold.
The information requested is given in the following table for the academic year 2008/09.
Pupils achieving Grade B or higher in both GCSE Maths and English, excluding equivalents. Number Percentage 2008/09 155,446 26.8 1 Pupils attending maintained schools only including City Technology Colleges and Academies. 2 Data is revised. Note: AS Levels not included. Source: National Pupil Database
(2) how many and what proportion of 16 to 18-year- old candidates in each constituency entered for level 3 qualifications at least equivalent to one GCE or Applied GCE A-level in (a) comprehensive schools, (b) all maintained schools and further education sector colleges and (c) all independent schools achieved three or more A grades at GCE/Applied GCE A-level and double awards in (i) 1997 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.
The information requested on the number of pupils at the end of key stage 4 attending (a) comprehensive and (b) independent schools entered for GCSEs in (i) physics, (ii) biology and (iii) chemistry by parliamentary constituency in 2008/09 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
The information available on the proportion and number of 16-18 year old pupils in each parliamentary constituency entered for GCE/Applied GCE A-Levels and Double Awards in (a) comprehensive schools, (b) all maintained schools and further education sector colleges and (c) all independent schools who achieved three or more A grades at GCE/Applied GCE A-Level and Double Awards in 2005/06 and 2008/09 has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Information for earlier years can only be produced at disproportionate cost.