Thousands of young people have just picked up their results from the November GCSE resit exams.
While the proportion of students passing English GCSE resits was down 5.4 percentage points on last year (to 34.9 per cent), pass rates were up by 1.9 percentage points to 24.1 per cent for maths resitters.
For those who achieved a grade four, this will be a fantastic start to 2025 and the key to accessing new opportunities in education and work.
But now is also a chance to reflect on the challenges facing post-16 English and maths, and how we might overcome them.
The November exam window can be a brilliant second chance for those on the cusp of passing in the summer. For some, a few weeks of intensive, well-designed revision is all they need to secure that all-important grade four. However, most learners, particularly those who achieved a grade one or two in the summer and those further down the grade three mark scale, need longer lead-in times before attempting the GCSE. Even the summer exam window comes too soon for many to adequately address the knowledge gaps holding them back.
Our proposal would alleviate the endless cycle of resits
Since the condition of funding began requiring students without a grade four to continue studying English and maths post-16 in 2014, the sector has achieved significant successes. Since then, there has been a 94 per cent increase in those passing GCSE English and maths in post-16 education. Much of this progress is driven by learners who achieve a grade three at 16. The sector should be proud of this. However, there is a clear need for more tailored, evidence-based approaches to help all learners succeed — especially those further behind.
Individual colleges have been wrestling with the differing needs of their learner cohorts for years. We now need to dig deep on a national level and ensure we have the infrastructure to support the delivery of targeted interventions. This is why Get Further responded to the government’s curriculum and assessment review by proposing the introduction of a “GCSE step” for resit students – a one-year course covering approximately half of the GCSE content aimed at those students with the lowest prior attainment (grade 2 or below) that prepares them to sit the full GCSE the following year.
There is plenty of evidence that a mastery approach like this is beneficial for all learners, but particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are disproportionally more likely to need to resit. At present, while many colleges would like to take a longer-term approach to supporting learners, accountability measures mean there is pressure to enter students for GCSE exams each year, leading to the often-mentioned criticism that students are “subjected to an endless cycle of resits”. Our proposal would alleviate this pressure and give learners the opportunity to consolidate foundational skills before tackling the full breadth of the curriculum.
To inform and advocate for more targeted interventions for post-16 English and maths learners, we also need better evidence to draw upon. For example, a wealth of evidence from secondary settings demonstrates small-group tuition to be an effective intervention for supporting learners, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to develop their literacy and numeracy skills. Get Further’s internal impact data supports this. However, there has been little external research conducted on tuition in post-16 settings.
This is why the Education Endowment Foundation has commissioned a team of researchers led by the University of Warwick to undertake an evaluation of Get Further’s small-group tuition in 2025/26. Their investment of nearly £1.1 million is the most they have ever spent on a post-16 evaluation, demonstrating their commitment to generating evidence of what works to support learners resitting English and maths GCSEs. We are now calling on colleges to take part in this evaluation and help us to generate these vital insights.
For some of our international counterparts, such as the Netherlands, fewer than 10 per cent of young people are without equivalent level two qualifications in English and maths by the age of 19. This new year, let’s resolve to take a more targeted approach to matching this achievement in England.
I would suggest that focus should be on the GCSE content examining how fit for purpose it is to prepare young people for their future occupations and lives.
The GCSE content was originally planned for young people who wanted to study these subjects at A level and beyond but political intervention has made it a benchmark for all educational and employability progress. If we are to use the GCSEs for this purpose the content needs to address the future skills for life, work and continuing education in general. The GCSEs as they stand can continue for those who have an interest in those studies but benchmark qualifications need developing in partnership with employers to meet the needs of a modern society. Until this is addressed we will continue to fail thousands of young people every year.
Would allowing students in school the chance to sit maths English exam in November of year 11 and the resit in summer where needed.
Majority will pass and then concentrate on other areas before summer exams. And student who miss out on targetted grades could have more time with high school teachers to study. Kids should be given more choice and chances