White pupils are behind immigrants in GCSE maths and English

NATIVE English speakers have fallen behind the children of immigrants in GCSE maths and English, an official analysis has found. Latest data from the Department for Education say 43.2 per cent of native English speakers gained grades 9-5 in English and Maths in 2019, compared to 43.8 per cent of their peers who speak English as an additional language.

Native speakers were also outperformed by their non-native speaking peers in 2017. The figures also show that white pupils are the least likely to enter for the Ebacc subjects when sitting GCSES. Just 37.5 per cent of white teenagers enter for the award, the lowest proportion of all ethnic groups.

In order to obtain the award, students must obtain five A*-C or numeric grades 9-4 in maths, English, science, history or geography, and a modern language.

Chinese students were the most likely to obtain Ebacc, with 61.6 per cent getting the award. Meanwhile, 50.6 per cent of Asian students, 46.5 per cent of black students and 44.3 per cent of mixed race students obtained the award. The gap be- tween disadvantaged pupils and wealthier classmates increased for the second year running. In 2019 it was 0.4 per cent higher than the year before.

The government figures, based on performance in last year’s GCSES, showed that multi-academy trusts performed worse than other mainstream state schools in the measure of pupils’ progress.

The data was published yesterday after a delay of two weeks as officials admitted a “significant number” of results were missing from their original dataset. At the time, Duncan Baldwin of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: “These performance tables come after a series of problems dating back to September in collecting and processing qualification data, the most recent of which resulted in a two-week delay to the information published today.” He said ASCL supported the decision to delay publication of the data, but added: “These difficulties do not inspire confidence in the processes for compiling school performance tables and we urge the department to review its systems carefully to ensure they are more robust in the future.”

Nick Gibb, the schools minister, said: “The Ebacc is instrumental in driving up educational standards. Overall more pupils are studying these core academic subjects than at any time since the Ebacc measure was introduced and the entry rate is particularly high in our free schools. The attainment gap between disadvantaged children and their peers remains stable and is down by around 9% since 2011 – but we recognise there is more to do. Multi-academy trusts make a significant contribution in terms of helping disadvantaged pupils with progress rates higher than in other types of school.

“This is encouraging and shows the benefits that can be achieved under the leadership of a strong trust.”