Congratulations to London students on receiving your GCSE results! Your hard work and dedication in the face of unprecedented challenges brought on by the pandemic and by RAAC has paid off. We must also acknowledge the commitment of our schools, teachers, and support staff who have worked tirelessly to guide students through these challenging times.
The success of London’s students is reflected in the statistics, with London leading the way when it comes to top grades. Notably, 28.5% of London pupils scored Grades 7/A and above. As attainment at Key Stage 4 is a strong predictor of progression to higher education, today’s results bode well for future rates of HE participation in the capital.
The results do however sound a note of caution. We are concerned to see further decline in the numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds studying creative subjects at GCSE – this should prompt government to redouble its efforts to restore creativity to the school curriculum. And we must remain alert to differential rates of attainment by socio-economic status and school type, which persist. Equalising outcomes must form a priority for Labour’s ‘opportunity mission’.
