Gaining a ‘good’ pass in GCSE English and maths is widely viewed as crucial in supporting young people’s academic and career opportunities and future life outcomes. Current policy means that students who do not gain a Grade 4 in English and maths on their first attempt must continue to study these subjects.
Despite this attempt to have more students pass the GCSE, the proportion of resit students achieving a Grade 4 by 18 remains disappointingly low. In 2022, just 15.2% gained a Grade 4 in their maths GCSE resit and 24.1% in English.
As a response to the persistent underperformance of 16-18-year-old resit learners and the lack of a strong ‘what works’ evidence base in this area, the EEF commissioned this practice review which we produced in partnership with the University of Warwick.
The review pulls together findings from a literature review conducted by the University of Warwick and findings from fieldwork with post-16 practitioners and young people retaking GCSE English and/or maths.
