Leaders Attack 'Demotivating' Plan to Make GCSE Failures Retake Maths and English

A government proposal to compel students who fail their GCSEs to retake maths and English is facing significant criticism from education experts and school leaders, who argue the policy could be counterproductive and demotivating.

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There’s got to be a better way to give young people the skills and confidence that they need to succeed, not just branding them a failure, and also allowing them to gain other qualifications that show they have a strong foundation in English and maths.

The concern stems from dismal pass rates for older students retaking these crucial exams. This summer, only approximately one in seven students achieved a grade 4 or higher in GCSE maths retakes, while just one in six passed English. This means the majority of these students will likely face another year of study in these subjects if they continue in education or training. These low results stand in contrast to the record high grades achieved by younger Year 11 students nationally.

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So that’s why I want to bring in a new level one qualification so they’ve got a strong foundation in English and maths that gives them that passport to go on for further study or an apprenticeship or a training place.

Education Secretary Lucy Powell defended the government's plan for a new "stepping stone" qualification for students who scored grade 2 or below. She described the current approach as a "hamster wheel," suggesting it fails to equip young people with necessary skills and confidence, instead branding them as failures. Powell aims for a new qualification to provide a strong foundation in English and maths, serving as a passport for further study, apprenticeships, or training.

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This year’s post-16 resit results reinforce the fact that the government policy of force-feeding them a relentless diet of GCSE English and maths in post-16 education is simply not working.

However, skepticism abounds. Pepe Di'Iasio, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, stated that the post-16 resit results confirm the government's policy of forcing students to retake GCSE English and maths is "simply not working." He believes that minor adjustments to the qualification system won't solve the problem and that the government must rethink assessment methods to avoid damaging students' future prospects. Professor Lee Elliot Major of the University of Exeter warned that the new qualification needs a "strong fairness test" to prevent disproportionately directing students from disadvantaged backgrounds onto lower-level routes, emphasizing the need for systemic reform rather than superficial changes.

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Tinkering at the edges of the qualification system will not solve this problem. As long as we continue to grade students in this way in these gateway subjects of English and maths, we will continue to damage their future prospects.