This review by the Education Endowment Foundation suggests that there is a strong appetite for evidence-use amongst teachers working in post-16 education, but a lack of support and resources for doing so.
The research also found a lack of well-developed evidence-informed programmes and interventions to support learners taking GCSE English and maths resits in post-16 settings and professional development for those teaching resit classes.
The review, by a team from the Centre for Education and Youth and the University of Warwick, was commissioned to build a clearer picture of post-16 GCSE resits practice and how evidence can support teaching and learning.
Getting a ‘good’ pass in GCSE English and maths is widely viewed as important in supporting young people’s academic and career opportunities. Current policy means that students who do not gain a Grade 4 in English and maths in their first attempt must continue to study these subjects. However, in 2022, just 15.2 per cent of learners resitting their maths GCSE gained a Grade 4, while just under a quarter (24.1 per cent) did so in English.
The review identified significant barriers and challenges which contribute to these low conversion rates for GCSE resitters. Crucially, the ability of post-16 settings to recruit, retain and develop a highly skilled workforce was the biggest barrier to ensuring that learners are receiving high-quality teaching.