Quick overview
- 4.8 million GCSE exam entries were made by 16-year-olds in the UK in 2021 and 5.2 million tests were made in total in 2020.
- In 2020, there are 4,188 secondary schools in the UK, down from 4,190 in 2019.
- 50% of government education spending was on secondary schools in 2020/2021.
- The government will spend a minimum of £3,750 per pupil for primary schools and £5,000 per pupil for secondary schools.
- The most popular modern language was French, with 124,043 pupils taking the GCSE in French. Spanish came in second with 103,992 tests made.
- 77% of students passed their GCSEs (grade 4/C or above) in 2021, compared to 67% in 2019.
- 28.5% of students achieved a grade 7/A or above in 2021 up from 25.9% in 2020.
Number of schools in the UK
In 2020, there are over 32,770 schools in the UK, 4,188 of which are secondary schools. There are significantly more primary schools in the UK, with 20,832 open in 2020, which is close to five times the number of secondary schools.
Since last year, 674 new nurseries have opened in the UK. It’s the only kind of school that has increased this year. In total, there are 8 less primary schools, 2 less secondary schools and 33 less “other” types of schools (independent schools, special schools and pupil referral units).
Explore the graphic and table below to see the total number of schools by type in both 2019 and 2020.
- Number of schools
- Table
| Type of school | Number of schools 2019 | Number of schools 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Nurseries | 3,040 | 3,714 |
| Primary | 20,840 | 20,832 |
| Secondary | 4,190 | 4,188 |
| Other | 4,050 | 4,017 |
Expenditure on schools in the UK
Over the past 20 years (2000/2001-2019/2020), the amount of public sector spending on education has almost doubled (1.9x). And since 2015/2016, expidenture on the UK school system has risen by almost 9%.
The total spending in 2019/2020 was £92.4 million, with 50% of this being spent on secondary education. That is 47% more than the budget for pre-primary and primary education, and 10 times more than the spend on tertiary education.
- Expidenture on schools 2019/2020
- Table
| Type of school | 2015/2016 | 2016/2017 | 2017/2018 | 2018/2019 | 2019/2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-primary and primary education | £31,203,000 | £31,045,000 | £30,634,000 | £30,566,000 | £31,670,000 |
| Secondary education | £38,972,000 | £38,928,000 | £40,971,000 | £43,089,000 | £46,555,000 |
| Post-secondary non-tertiary education | £508,000 | £594,000 | £581,000 | £485,000 | £586,000 |
| Tertiary education | £6,164,000 | £6,066,000 | £5,419,000 | £4,621,000 | £4,373,000 |
| Education not definable by level | £632,000 | £808,000 | £908,000 | £803,000 | £950,000 |
| Subsidiary services to education | £3,504,000 | £3,393,000 | £3,385,000 | £3,646,000 | £3,870,000 |
| R&D education | £1,573,000 | £1,703,000 | £1,815,000 | £2,259,000 | £2,324,000 |
| Education n.e.c. | £2,358,000 | £2,369,000 | £2,344,000 | £2,582,000 | £2,068,000 |
| Total | £84,914,000 | £84,906,000 | £86,057,000 | £88,051,000 | £92,396,000 |
GCSE results
In 2020, over 5.2 million tests were made by 16-year-olds who took their GCSE exams in England. The most popular modern languages were French (124,043 tests), Spanish (103,992 tests) and German (40,688 tests). Out of these, the best results were seen by the pupils that chose German; 19.8% got a grade 8 or above. Of those studying Spanish, 19.2% got a grade 8 or above, and of those studying French, 17.4% got this grade.
The best performance overall was in the classical subjects, where 58.8% of pupils got a grade 8 or higher. The second best results were in other modern languages (excluding French, German and Spanish), where 52.1% got a grade 8 or higher. Also in the top 10 list, we can also find artistic subjects such as performing/expressive arts and drama, where 22.2% and 21.5% of the students respectively scored a grade 8 or higher.
- Best performing subjects
- Table
| Subject group | Percentage of students with a grade 8 or higher |
|---|---|
| Classical subjects | 58.80% |
| Other modern languages | 52.10% |
| Other sciences | 42.20% |
| Chemistry | 33.50% |
| Biology | 33.30% |
| Physics | 33.20% |
| Music | 29.10% |
| Economics | 28.80% |
| Performing/expressive arts | 22.20% |
| Drama | 21.50% |
GCSE pass percentage
In 2020, the number of students achieving a grade 7/A or above was around one in four (25.9%). This is higher than it was in earlier years; in 2019, 20.6% of students got 7/A or higher.
Over the last 12 years, fewer than 2% of students failed their GCSE exams, and in 2020, 99.6% of students achieved at least one grade 1/G or above – 1.3% more than the year before.
- Pass percentage
- Table
| Year | Grade 1/G and above | Grade 4/C and above | Grade 7/A and above |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 98.40% | 65.50% | 20.60% |
| 2009 | 98.60% | 66.90% | 21.50% |
| 2010 | 98.70% | 69.00% | 22.60% |
| 2011 | 98.80% | 69.80% | 23.30% |
| 2012 | 99.00% | 69.50% | 22.30% |
| 2013 | 98.80% | 67.90% | 21.20% |
| 2014 | 98.50% | 68.60% | 21.10% |
| 2015 | 98.60% | 68.80% | 21.00% |
| 2016 | 98.40% | 66.60% | 20.30% |
| 2017 | 98.50% | 66.10% | 19.80% |
| 2018 | 98.40% | 66.60% | 20.30% |
| 2019 | 98.30% | 67.00% | 20.60% |
| 2020 | 99.60% | 76.00% | 25.90% |
A levels overview
- 737,000 students took A levels in England in 2019 – 9,000 less than the year before.
- Mathematics was the most popular subject, with 85,000 exam entries.
- Further Mathematics had the highest percentage of students who achieved A or A* grades, with 53.1% of students doing so.
- The most popular apprenticeship in 2017/18 was business, administration and law – which makes up two-thirds of all apprenticeships.
- 34% of apprenticeships are being done by 19- to 24-year-olds in 2017/18.
After they finish their GCSEs, many teenagers choose to move onto further education such as A levels or take a more practical route through an apprenticeship. With further education being a massive life decision, we unpacked the latest statistics to see how many students are choosing to continue their education, what they are studying and how they got on in their exams.
In 2019, 737,000 students in England took A levels, similar to 2018, when 746,000 students took them. The majority of students (68%) took 3 A levels, with a select few individuals (0.1%) taking 5 or more A levels.
Take a look at the graph below for the breakdown of the number of A levels taken in 2019, or check out the table for a more detailed breakdown of the last four years.
- A levels
- Table
| A levels taken | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.1% | 11.3% | 10.5% | 10.6% |
| 2 | 16.2% | 16.8% | 16.8% | 17.0% |
| 3 | 63.6% | 65.4% | 66.9% | 68.0% |
| 4 | 7.6% | 6.2% | 5.6% | 4.3% |
| 5+ | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
Which A level subject is the most popular?
The most popular subject studied at A level in 2019 was mathematics, studied by 85,000 students. This was closely followed by biology with 63,600 students and psychology with 62,000 students.
The least popular subjects were performing and expressive arts (1,100 students), German (2,900 students) and classical subjects (4,900 students).
- Subjects
- Table
| Subject | Number of entries |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | 85,000 |
| Biology | 63,600 |
| Psychology | 62,000 |
| Chemistry | 54,900 |
| History | 47,100 |
| Art and design | 39,200 |
| English literature | 37,200 |
| Physics | 36,000 |
| Sociology | 35,800 |
| Geography | 31,800 |
| Business studies | 30,500 |
| Economics | 29,800 |
| Media/film/TV studies | 19,800 |
| Political studies | 18,200 |
| Religious studies | 16,200 |
| Further mathematics | 13,700 |
| English language | 13,700 |
| Law | 10,900 |
| Computing | 10,400 |
| Physical education | 9,800 |
| Drama | 9,300 |
| Design & technology | 9,200 |
| Spanish | 7,900 |
| French | 7,600 |
| English lang. & lit. | 7,500 |
| Music | 5,100 |
| Classical subjects | 4,900 |
| German | 2,900 |
| Performing/expressive arts | 1,100 |
How many students achieved A or A* grades in the A level exams?
In 2019, further mathematics was the subject where the most students (53.1%) achieved an A or A* grade. In second place was mathematics, where 40.5% of students achieved an A or A* grade. And despite being only studied by 2,900 people, 40.4% of students who studied German achieved an A or A* grade.
- A or A*
- Table
| Subject | Number of entries | Percentage who achieved A/A* (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | 85,000 | 40.5% |
| Biology | 63,600 | 23.5% |
| Psychology | 62,000 | 16.5% |
| Chemistry | 54,900 | 28.4% |
| History | 47,100 | 22.5% |
| Art and design | 39,200 | 27.7% |
| English literature | 37,200 | 24.1% |
| Physics | 36,000 | 27.5% |
| Sociology | 35,800 | 18.1% |
| Geography | 31,800 | 23.3% |
| Business studies | 30,500 | 14.1% |
| Economics | 29,800 | 28.7% |
| Media/film/TV studies | 19,800 | 11% |
| Political studies | 18,200 | 26% |
| Religious studies | 16,200 | 21.5% |
| Further mathematics | 13,700 | 53.1% |
| English language | 13,700 | 11.3% |
| Law | 10,900 | 16% |
| Computing | 10,400 | 17.6% |
| Physical education | 9,800 | 14.7% |
| Drama | 9,300 | 18% |
| Design & technology | 9,200 | 15.9% |
| Spanish | 7,900 | 34.9% |
| French | 7,600 | 36.4% |
| English lang. & lit. | 7,500 | 12.1% |
| Music | 5,100 | 19.3% |
| Classical subjects | 4,900 | 34.4% |
| German | 2,900 | 40.4% |
| Performing/expressive arts | 1,100 | 24% |
