GCSE Results 2024 Analysis
Comprehensive visualizations and insights on the GCSE results for England, highlighting key trends, subject breakdowns, and regional comparisons.
Key Statistics
Overall Pass Rate
73.6%
Students achieving grade 4/C or above
Top Grades
22.9%
Grades at 7/A or above
EBacc Entries
34.8%
Proportion entered for English Baccalaureate
Gender Performance
Grade Distribution by Gender
Key Insights
- Girls continue to outperform boys in most subjects, with a 5.2 percentage point gap in achieving grade 4/C or above.
- The gap in top grades (7/A or above) has narrowed slightly to 1.9 percentage points in favor of girls.
- Boys outperform girls in mathematics by 1.4 percentage points at grade 7 and above.
Subject Performance
Top Grades (7/A or above) by Subject
Classical Subjects
Latin, Classical Greek, Ancient History
47.8%
Top grades (7/A or above) in 2024, making them the highest-performing subjects.
Sciences
Biology, Chemistry, Physics
34.2%
Top grades, showing improved performance compared to pre-pandemic years.
English & Maths
Core subjects
68.2%
achieved grade 4/C or above in both English and mathematics, maintaining stability.
Regional Comparison
Top Grades (7/A) by Region
Regional Insights
London
28.5%
Top grades
North West
19.8%
Top grades
London continues to lead in performance, with a 8.7 percentage point gap in top grades compared to the lowest-performing region. This reflects longstanding regional disparities in educational outcomes.
Disadvantaged Students
The attainment gap between disadvantaged students and their peers remains significant, though narrowing slightly from previous years by 0.4 percentage points.
Historical Trends
Post-Pandemic Recovery
Results in 2024 show a stabilization following the pandemic disruption, with top grades (7/A and above) returning to levels close to but still slightly above 2019 results.
Entry Patterns
Modern Foreign Language entries continue to decline (down 2.7% from 2023), while Computing and Business Studies see growth (up 4.1% and 3.3% respectively).
Expert Commentary
"The 2024 GCSE results show a welcome stabilization after several years of pandemic-related volatility. While top grades remain slightly elevated compared to 2019, the gap has narrowed significantly from the peaks seen during emergency assessment arrangements."
The data reveals several important trends. First, the longstanding gender gap persists, though with interesting nuances—boys are catching up in some STEM subjects while girls maintain their advantage in humanities and languages.
Regional disparities remain a significant challenge, with London's outperformance highlighting the need for targeted support in other areas. The progress in narrowing the disadvantage gap is encouraging but work remains to ensure equal opportunities.
Subject choice trends suggest increasing alignment with the evolving job market, particularly in STEM fields. However, the continued decline in language entries may warrant policy attention to maintain a balanced skills pipeline.
