Minister welcomes best ever GCSE results

Education Minister, Huw Lewis has congratulated pupils and teachers on achieving Wales’ best ever GCSE results in the 2014/15 academic year.

The Minister was speaking about provisional statistics, published today, which also reveal Wales best ever Maths,  English and  Welsh first language GCSE  results as well as a narrowing of the attainment gap between those pupils eligible for free school meals and their counterparts.

The statistics show that in the 2014/15 academic year:

• 57.6% of 15 year olds in Wales achieved at least  5 A*-C at GCSE, including English or Welsh First Language and Mathematics – an increase of 2.1 percentage points on 2013/ 14 and 13.2 percentage  points higher than when records began in 2006/07.
• 83.4% achieved 5 A*-C at GCSE or equivalent – an increase of 1.1 percentage points on 2013/14
• 69.4% A*-C in English or Welsh First Language – an increase of 2.2 percentage points on the previous year and the highest since records began
• 64.2% achieved A* – C in Mathematics, 2.5 percentage points higher than 2013/14 and again the highest on record
• 83.3% achieved A*-C in Science an increase of 1 percentage point on 2013/14
• 31.3% of those pupils eligible for free meals achieved 5 A*-C at GCSE,   including English or Welsh First Language and Mathematics. This is 3.5 percentage points higher than in 2013/14.
• At A-level, 96.9% of 17 year olds achieved 2 A levels at A*-E or equivalent – a very small decrease of 0.2 percentage points on the previous year

Education Minister, Huw Lewis said:

“I really am delighted by these excellent results. They show our best ever performance in a number of key subjects as well as the highest ever percentage of our learners attaining 5 good GCSEs that include Mathematics and English or Welsh first language.

“The results also show we are making real progress in closing the stubborn attainment gap between those pupils eligible for free school meals and their contemporaries.

“For me the closing of this gap is a real priority  and the 3.5% percentage point increase demonstrates that we are definitely making inroads in changing the fortunes of learners from less advantaged backgrounds and communities.

“These results are the reflection of a great deal of hard work and commitment from pupils and teachers across Wales and I congratulate them wholeheartedly on their success.

“They also show that our education reform programme really is  working, and that the momentum in Welsh education identified by Estyn is resulting in real improvements for pupils across Wales.

“There is more to do, and no question of us resting on our laurels, but these statistics speak for themselves. Education in Wales continues to be on the up.”