Leadership

Post-16 GCSE Resit Practice Review

This review identified significant barriers and challenges which contribute to low conversion rates for GCSE resitters.

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.

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