KINGSTON CROWNED AS GCSE PASS RATE CHAMPIONS
New data has crowned Kingston upon Thames as the UK area where pupils are most likely to pass their GCSEs, with over 70% of students achieving a grade 5 or above in their exams, it was revealed today.
The data has revealed the UK regions with the highest and lowest GCSE pass rates during the most recent academic year.
The research team at QR Code Generator analysed the percentage of students achieving a high pass in English and Maths during the 2023-2024 academic year to determine the schools with the highest and lowest pass rates.
Grade 5 is defined as a ‘high pass,’ while grade 4 is classed as a standard pass.
The data reveals that Kingston upon Thames has now overtaken Sutton as the UK area with the highest GCSE pass rate, with a staggering 70.39% of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above.
During the 2022-2023 academic year, the town in London achieved a pass rate of 66.67%, demonstrating a clear trend of academic improvement among students in the area.
The London Borough of Sutton has the second-highest GCSE pass rate in the UK, with 67.97% of students achieving a grade 5 or above.
While this figure is slightly lower compared to the area’s pass rate of 69.19% during the 2022-2023 academic year, Sutton still ranks highly in terms of academic success.
Kingston and Sutton also have the highest percentage of pupils achieving a grade 8 in their GCSEs, which is the equivalent of an A*.
During the most recent academic year, 59.14% of pupils in these London regions achieved a grade 8 in their English and Maths exams, demonstrating the staggering rates of academic success in these areas.
The London Boroughs of Richmond upon Thames and Barnet both have the third-highest GCSE pass rate in the UK, with 66.57% of students achieving a high pass in English and Maths.
Like Kingston, Richmond upon Thames has also moved up in the rankings, with an increase of almost 3% in the area’s pass rate since the 2022-2023 academic year.
Barnet has also experienced an increase in pupils achieving a high pass, demonstrating the area’s upward trend of academic success.
The UK areas with the highest GCSE pass rate:
|
Rank |
UK Area |
Percentage of Pupils Achieving a Grade 5 or Above |
|
1 |
Kingston upon Thames |
70.39% |
|
2 |
Sutton |
67.97% |
|
=3 |
Richmond upon Thames |
66.57% |
|
=3 |
Barnet |
66.57% |
|
4 |
Trafford |
66.39% |
|
5 |
Redbridge |
64.47% |
|
6 |
Hammersmith and Fulham |
64.40% |
|
7 |
Kensington and Chelsea |
62.19% |
|
8 |
Westminster |
61.28% |
|
9 |
Wokingham |
60.63% |
|
10 |
Buckinghamshire |
59.53% |
Trafford, located in Greater Manchester, is in fourth place. During the most recent academic year, 66.39% of students achieved a grade 5 or above in English and Maths. Since the 2022-2023 academic year, Trafford has displayed tremendous signs of academic improvement and has moved up two places in the top 10 ranking, with an increase of almost 5%.
The Manchester Borough also has one of the highest percentages of pupils achieving a grade 8 in their GCSEs, with a score of 58.26%.
The London Borough of Redbridge has the fifth-highest GCSE pass rate in the UK, with 64.47% of students achieving a grade 5 or above. Out of the 3,957 pupils enrolled in the area, an impressive 2,551 achieved a high pass in English and Maths.
Hammersmith and Fulham is in sixth place, with 64.40% of students achieving a high pass. The data reveals that there’s been an increase of 3% in the area’s pass rate since 2022-2023.
Kensington and Chelsea is crowned as the UK area with the seventh-highest GCSE pass rate. During the most recent academic year, 62.19% of pupils in the London Borough achieved a strong pass in English and Maths. The data also reveals that 54.50% of students in the area achieved a grade 8 in their GCSE exams.
Westminster appears in eighth place, with 61.28% of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above. The London-based city also has a high percentage of students achieving the equivalent of an A* in their GCSEs, with 52.82% of students in the area achieving a grade 8 in their English and Maths exams.
Wokingham is in ninth place, with 60.63% of pupils achieving a high pass in their GCSE exams. Out of the 2,116 students enrolled in the area, 1,283 achieved a grade 5 or above in English and Maths.
Buckinghamshire rounds off the top 10 ranking, with 59.53% of pupils achieving a strong pass in English and Maths.
For the second year running, Knowsley, located in Merseyside, has the lowest GCSE pass rate in the UK. According to the study, only 22.85% of students achieved a high pass for their GCSEs last year. While this figure is an improvement from the area’s pass rate of only 19.52% during the 2022-2023 academic year, the data reveals how Knowsley’s academic performance continues to fall short of the national average ‘high’ pass rate of 46%.
Once again, Blackpool has the second-lowest pass rate in the UK, with only 27.04% of students achieving a grade 5 or above during the most recent academic year. Of 1,335 students enrolled in the area, only 361 achieved a high pass in their GCSEs last year.
Students in North East Lincolnshire are the third most likely to fail their GCSEs. According to the data, only 32.89% of pupils in the area achieved a grade 5 or above during the most recent academic year.
The UK areas with the lowest GCSE pass rate:
|
Rank |
UK Area |
Percentage of Pupils Achieving a Grade 5 or Above |
|
1 |
Knowsley |
22.85% |
|
2 |
Blackpool |
27.04% |
|
3 |
North East Lincolnshire |
32.89% |
|
4 |
Stoke-on-Trent |
33.04% |
|
5 |
Halton |
33.69% |
|
6 |
Portsmouth |
34.44% |
|
7 |
Hartlepool |
34.69% |
|
8 |
Rochdale |
34.80% |
|
9 |
Sandwell |
35.23% |
|
10 |
South Tyneside |
35.55% |
Stoke-on-Trent has the fourth-lowest GCSE pass in the UK, with only 33.04% of pupils achieving a grade 5 or above in English and Maths. This is a slight decline from the city’s previous high pass rate of 33.33%.
Halton appears in fifth place, with 33.69% of pupils in the area achieving a high pass. Of the 1,576 students enrolled in the area, only 531 achieved a grade of 5 or above in English and Maths.
Portsmouth has the sixth-lowest GCSE pass rate, with only 34.44% of students achieving a grade 5 or above in their exams.
Hartlepool is in seventh place, with a GCSE pass rate of 34.69%.
Students in Rochdale are the eighth-most likely to fail their GCSEs, with only 34.80% of students achieving a grade 5 or above in English and Maths.
Next up is Sandwell, with a GCSE pass rate of 35.23%.
South Tyneside rounds off the bottom 10 ranking, with only 35.55% of students in the area achieving a grade 5 or above.
In 2021, London had the highest gross disposable household income per head at £31,094, compared with the UK average of £21,679. This means that parents in London are more likely to enrol their children in extra-curricular activities, such as hiring a tutor or paying for additional lessons. Meanwhile, families with less disposable income do not have the means to do this.
Knowsley’s gross disposable household income is £17,262 per head, lower than the national average. Meanwhile, Kingston upon Thames has an average disposable income of £33,655– a difference of £16,393.
The London Boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham and Kensington & Chelsea, which appear in sixth and seventh place respectively, are revealed to have the highest amount of disposable income in the UK at a staggering £62,408 per head.
Westminster, which places eighth in the top 10 ranking, also has an average disposable income of £53,670 per head. This clearly demonstrates the underlying trend between areas with higher disposable incomes and those with higher GCSE pass rates.
Marc Porcar, the CEO of QR Code Generator, commented on the study:
“This data demonstrates the need for greater initiatives to be implemented to bridge the economic gap between the North and South of England. Eight of the top 10 areas with the highest GCSE pass rates are based in London, with only one northern area, Trafford, appearing in the top ten ranking.
“On the opposite end of the scale, six of the regions with the lowest GCSE pass rates are located in the North of England. This data demonstrates that the North-South divide is still as prevalent as ever, which is clearly impacting students’ academic success.
“Pupils should not have to grow up in areas with high disposable incomes in order to achieve good GCSE results, but unfortunately this data presents the opposite.
“Based on this research, it’s clear that more needs to be done to improve access to extra-curricular opportunities for students in the North of England, such as improved funding for additional tutoring and implementing teacher recruitment schemes.”