A Closer Look at Pupils who did not Achieve the Basics at GCSE

Since 2014, UK government policy mandates that all students should achieve at least a grade 4 in both English and maths GCSEs, often referred to as achieving “the basics.” However, many students fall short; data from the 2022/23 cohort indicates that nearly 200,000 pupils, or one-third of the cohort, did not meet this requirement. This analysis uses data from around 1,500 state-funded schools, covering approximately 290,000 pupils, to explore the performance of those who did not achieve the basics last year. The focus is on achieving a grade 4 or above in GCSE maths and either GCSE English language or literature.