22nd January 2013 9:00
By Blue Tutors
After the outcry over the low English GCSE results from the previous summer, nearly 50,000 pupils retook the subject in December. This is due to the fact that the percentage of pupils who attained a C grade in English GCSE has fallen from 65.4% in 2011 to just 63.9% in 2012. This went hand in hand with a further drop in the percentage of students gaining an A or A* grade.
Of the 31,000 students who retook English language and 16,800 who retook English literature, just over a third have obtained at least a C grade while the remainder achieved a D or lower. It is believed that a third also gained a higher grade than they did in the summer which shows that the results have most definitely improved. However, only a small percentage of the students were awarded A grades.
Pupils, head teachers and schools have come together to file a legal challenge over the grades awarded last summer. They are claiming that grade boundaries were adjusted unfairly from last year’s results. Ofqual, the exams watchdog, has insisted that it adhered to proper procedures when awarding grades during the summer. A final legal ruling is expected over the GCSE grade row in January.
Head teachers are adamant that these retakes have led to higher results for a number of students. Obtaining a C grade for English is often essential for students wanting to continue their studies or apply for jobs. However, school and college leaders claim that the improvement in results in such a short time is confirmation that the original grade predictions made by teachers were correct. Furthermore, they believe that the results achieved in the summer were not a true indication of the students’ ability.