Commissioner calls for review into decline in percentage of pupils with five good GCSEs

The number of children leaving school without basic qualifications by the age of 18 has risen by nearly a quarter in the past three years, according to a report by the children’s commissioner for England.

Almost one in five children (18%) left school last year without the government benchmark of five good GCSEs, or the equivalent technical qualifications, a 24% increase since 2015, the study found.

The figures for children with special educational needs are particularly stark with almost half (45%) failing to reach what is known as level 2 attainment by the time they finish compulsory education. Pupils on free school meals (FSM) also fared badly with more than one in three (37%) leaving school “without any substantive qualifications”.

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The children’s commissioner, Anne Longfield, described the figures as shameful and called on the government to urgently investigate. “While we should celebrate the progress that is being made in raising standards for millions of children, it should never be an acceptable part of the education system for thousands of children to leave with next to nothing.”

Longfield is particularly concerned that progress in closing the attainment gap between children living in the least and most deprived areas of England has stalled and is now in reverse, at a time when pupils have to stay in education longer than ever before.

By law children in England must stay in education or training until they are 18, but the evidence laid out in the report suggested pupils gained little in terms of qualifications during the extra school years.

Last year 98,799 children in England left school without basic qualifications. Of those, 28,225 were on FSM. According to Longfield, increasing rates of failure to reach attainment targets among the most disadvantaged are causing the increase.

“These are children who will have spent 15 years in compulsory education, often having more than £100,000 of public money spent on their education, and yet leave the education system without basic benchmark qualifications,” the report said.

“These children have multiple options closed to them. Many will not be able to begin an apprenticeship, start technical courses or enter some workplaces because they cannot meet the basic entry requirements.”

Using her powers under the Children’s Act 2004, the commissioner has written to the government calling on ministers to conduct an independent review into falling level 2 attainment.

“The government must urgently investigate why the progress that has been made over recent years in closing the attainment gap has stalled and is now going backwards, and commit itself to halving over the next five years the number of children failing to gain a level 2 qualification by the age of 19.”

The Department for Education later challenged the commissioner’s findings: “This report does not provide the full picture, comparing against figures that include qualifications we have since removed from performance tables because they did not serve pupils well.

“The proportion of 19-year-olds with vital English and maths GCSEs has actually risen from 50.9% in 2010 to 68.1% in 2018,” a spokesperson said, adding: “We are working to dramatically improve the rigour, quality and standard of qualifications across the board, and have already done so with GCSEs. These reformed qualifications will help young people achieve the skills they need to get on in life.

“The gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers has narrowed considerably in both primary and secondary schools since 2011. This year once again, the number of 16 to 24-year-olds not in education, training or employment has fallen and youth unemployment has halved since 2010.”

The report, which is based on analysis of official statistics, also includes local authority breakdowns. It shows disadvantaged children in London fare best, but in Derby, North Lincolnshire and Swindon less than half of FSM students achieved level 2 by the end of compulsory education last year.

The shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner, said the figures were shocking. “It is clear that this sudden rise has happened since the Tories came to power and imposed brutal cuts on education and support for families and children.

“The figures are particularly stark for children from the most disadvantaged backgrounds and with special educational needs and disabilities; yet more evidence that those who most need our support are those losing out.”