Academic year 2020/21

Key stage 4 performance

GCSE results of pupils at the end of KS4 attending state-funded schools in England at national & LA level. This release includes pupil characteristic breakdowns

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• Produced by: Department for Education
• Published: 4 November 2021
• Last updated: 1 February 2022

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6 featured tables

• Changes in the distribution of pupils by prior attainment

  Number of pupils in each Key Stage 2 prior attainment group for all pupils in state-funded schools in England between 2018/19 and 2020/21

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• Time series entries for main languages and all subjects

  The number of pupils entering GCSE modern languages in schools in England between 2009/10 and 2020/21

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• 2021 GCSE French Transition Matrix

  The distribution of attainment for pupils entering GCSE French in 2020/21 by their Key Stage 2 prior attainment.

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• Time series for the KS4 headline indicators; pupils in state-funded schools in England between 2014/15 and 2020/21

  Time series for the KS4 headline indicators; pupils in state-funded schools in England between 2014/15 and 2020/21

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• KS4 Attainment by school type: 2018/19 to 2020/21, England

  Pupil and school numbers, with KS4 Attainment, by school type: 2018/19 to 2020/21, England

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• Headline statistics for the detailed ethnicity categories

  Headline statistics for pupils in state-funded schools in England by the detailed ethnicity categories, 2018/19 to 2020/21

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Data sets: download or create tables

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23 data sets available for download

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• Key stage 2 to 4 transition matrices EBacc attainment

  National

  National level EBacc entry and attainment levels for the latest year broken down by gender, disadvantage, special educational needs (SEN) and English as an additional language (EAL) . Pupils in state-funded mainstream and special schools, hospital schools and non-maintained special schools.

  • Number of rows: 100
  • Indicators:
    • Basics: Percentage of pupils achieving grades 9-4 in English and Maths
    • Basics: Percentage of pupils achieving grades 9-5 in English and Maths
    • Basics: Percentage of pupils not achieving grades 9-4 in English and Maths
  • Filters:
    • Breakdown
    • Key stage 2 prior attainment group
    • Pupil characteristic disaggregation
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 local authority characteristics data

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Local authority and regional level headline entry and attainment measures for the latest year broken down by gender, major ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, special educational need status and description, disadvantaged status and first language. State-funded schools only.

  • Number of rows: 26,601
  • Indicators:
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
    • Average EBacc APS score per pupil
    • Percentage of pupils achieving grades 4 or above in English and mathematics GCSEs
  • Filters:
    • Disadvantaged status
    • English as an Additional Language status
    • Free school meal eligibility
  • Time period: 2018/19 to 2020/21

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• KS4 disadvantage gap index data

  National

  Disadvantaged attainment gap index. Timeseries from 2009/10 to the latest year. Pupils in state-funded schools.

  • Number of rows: 12
  • Indicators:
    • Disadvantaged attainment gap index
  • Time period: 2010/11 to 2020/21

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• KS4 local authority district and region of pupil residence data

  Local authority district, National, Regional

  Local authority district level headline entry and attainment measures for the latest year - based on pupil postcode rather than location of the school. State-funded school pupils only.

  • Number of rows: 326
  • Indicators:
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
    • Average EBacc APS score per pupil
    • Percentage of pupils achieving grades 4 or above in English and Mathematics GCSEs
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 subject entry level data

  National

  National level entries and grades for the latest year for GCSE subjects for all schools.

  • Number of rows: 44
  • Indicators:
    • The number of exams graded as 1
    • The number of exams graded as 11
    • The number of exams graded as 2
  • Filters:
    • The subject pupils are entered for
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 national data

  National

  National level headline entry and attainment measures broken down by year, detailed school type, gender, prior attainment, school admission type and school religious denomination.

  • Number of rows: 1,036
  • Indicators:
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils for Ebacc element
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils for English element
  • Filters:
    • Attainment level assigned to pupil based on their KS2 results
    • Basis for admission into the school e.g. non-selective schools in other areas, selective schools
    • Gender
  • Time period: 2009/10 to 2020/21

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• KS4 local authority district and region of school location data by FSM and disadvantage status

  Local authority district, National, Regional

  Local authority district level headline entry and attainment measures for the latest year including pupil free school meal eligibility and disadvantaged status. State-funded school pupils only.

  • Number of rows: 1,621
  • Indicators:
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils for Ebacc element
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils for English element
  • Filters:
    • Disadvantaged status
    • Free school meal eligibility
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 GCSE subject alternative provision data

  National

  National level GCSE grades for the latest year broken down by subject for pupils in alternative provision.

  • Number of rows: 42
  • Indicators:
    • The number of entries in to a subject
    • The number of exams graded as 1
    • The number of exams graded as 11
  • Filters:
    • The type of subject
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 degree of rurality of school location data

  National, Regional

  National and regional level headline entry and attainment measures for the latest year broken down by degree of rurality - school location. State-funded school pupils only.

  • Number of rows: 64
  • Indicators:
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
    • Average EBacc APS score per pupil
    • Percentage of pupils achieving grades 4 or above in English and Mathematics GCSEs
  • Filters:
    • Degree of rurality - school location
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 subject pupil level data

  National

  National level entries and grade thresholds for the latest year broken down by subject, gender, detailed school type and qualification type e.g. GCSEs, AS levels and vocational.

  • Number of rows: 3,651
  • Indicators:
    • The number of pupils entering each exam
    • The percentage of pupils achieving a grade 9-1 out of pupils entering that subject
    • The percentage of pupils achieving a grade 9-4 out of pupils entering that subject
  • Filters:
    • Basis for admission into the school
    • Gender
    • Religious denomination of school
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• Key stage 2 to 4 transition matrices GCSE subjects graded 9 to 1

  National

  National level distributions of GCSE grades achieved compared with KS2 prior attainment broken down by subject, gender, disadvantage, special educational needs (SEN) and English as an additional language (EAL). Pupils in state-funded mainstream and special schools, hospital schools and non-maintained special schools.

  • Number of rows: 3,237
  • Indicators:
    • GCSE all grades achieved
    • GCSE grade 1 achieved
    • GCSE grade 2 achieved
  • Filters:
    • Breakdown
    • GCSE subject entered
    • Key stage 2 prior attainment group
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 national characteristics data

  National

  National level headline entry and attainment measures broken down by year, detailed school type, gender, major and minor ethnicity, free school meal eligibility, special educational need status and description, primary need, disadvantaged status, first language, school admission type and school religious denomination.

  • Number of rows: 5,146
  • Indicators:
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
    • Average EBacc APS score per pupil
    • Average Progress 8 score of all pupils
  • Filters:
    • All pupils with a primary need (from 2014/15 onwards this consisted of pupils flagged as SEN with a statement, EHC plan, SEN support, school action or school action plus)
    • Basis for admission into the school e.g. non-selective schools in other areas, selective schools
    • Disadvantaged status
  • Time period: 2018/19 to 2020/21

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• KS4 attainment 8 distribution by local authority district data

  Local authority district, National

  The distribution of attainment 8 scores for each LA, region and nationally for the latest year. State-funded school pupils only.

  • Number of rows: 6,008
  • Indicators:
    • Total number of pupils at the end of key stage 4
  • Filters:
    • The percentage grouping of pupils attainment 8 scores
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 entries by prior attainment band and disadvantage status

  National

  Average number of entries by prior attainment band and disadvantage status. England, state-funded schools, 2016/17 to the latest year.

  • Number of rows: 61
  • Indicators:
    • Average number of entries per pupil
  • Filters:
    • Attainment level assigned to pupil based on their KS2 results
    • Disadvantaged status
    • Qualification type
  • Time period: 2016/17 to 2020/21

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• KS4 subject timeseries data

  National

  National level time series from 2009/10 to the latest year for entries into individual GCSE subjects broken down by gender and grades received in all schools.

  • Number of rows: 2,011
  • Indicators:
    • The number of pupils entering each exam
    • The percentage of pupils achieving a grade 1
    • The percentage of pupils achieving a grade 11
  • Filters:
    • Gender
    • The subject pupils are entered for
  • Time period: 2009/10 to 2020/21

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• KS4 national data academies data

  National

  National level headline entry and attainment measures for the latest year broken down by academy type and years open.

  • Number of rows: 27
  • Indicators:
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
    • Average EBacc APS score per pupil
    • Percentage of pupils achieving any passes at GCSE or equivalent
  • Filters:
    • The number of academic years the school has been open
    • The types of school in the data
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 parliamentary constituency of school location data

  Parliamentary constituency

  Headline entry and attainment measures for the latest year for each constituency. State-funded pupils only.

  • Number of rows: 534
  • Indicators:
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
    • Average EBacc APS score per pupil
    • Percentage of pupils achieving grades 4 or above in English and Mathematics GCSEs
  • Time period: 2020/21

  Data set information page
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• Key stage 2 to 4 transition matrices GCSE combined science

  National

  National level distributions of combined science GCSE grades achieved compared with KS2 prior attainment broken down by gender, disadvantage, special educational needs (SEN) and English as an additional language (EAL). Pupils in state-funded mainstream and special schools, hospital schools and non-maintained special schools.

  • Number of rows: 100
  • Indicators:
    • Grade 11 achieved
    • Grade 21 achieved
    • Grade 22 achieved
  • Filters:
    • Breakdown
    • Key stage 2 prior attainment group
    • Pupil characteristic disaggregation
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 local authority data

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Local authority and regional level headline entry and attainment measures for the latest year broken down gender. State-funded schools only.

  • Number of rows: 1,462
  • Indicators:
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
    • Average Attainment 8 score per pupil in Ebacc subjects
    • Average Attainment 8 score per pupil in English
  • Filters:
    • Gender
  • Time period: 2018/19 to 2020/21

  Data set information page
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• KS4 subject year of entry data

  National

  National level numbers and proportions of pupils entering GCSE subjects in penultimate and final years in all schools.

  • Number of rows: 37
  • Indicators:
    • The number of pupils entering each exam
    • The number of pupils entering each exam in their final school year
    • The number of pupils entering each exam in their penultimate school year
  • Filters:
    • The subject pupils are entered for
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 local authority alternative provision data

  Local authority, National, Regional

  Local authority and regional level headline entry and attainment measures for the latest year broken down for alternative provision.

  • Number of rows: 161
  • Indicators:
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
    • Average Attainment 8 score per pupil in Ebacc subjects
    • Average Attainment 8 score per pupil in English
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 IDACI decile and degree of rurality of pupil residence data

  National, Regional

  National and regional level headline entry and attainment measures for the latest year broken down by Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices (IDACI) decile and degree of rurality - based on pupil postcode rather than location of the school. State-funded school pupils only.

  • Number of rows: 408
  • Indicators:
    • Average Attainment 8 score of all pupils
    • Average EBacc APS score per pupil
    • Average Progress 8 score of all pupils
  • Filters:
    • Degree of rurality - pupil residency
    • Income Deprivation Affecting Children Indices decile
    • Pupil residency detail
  • Time period: 2020/21

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• KS4 vocational subject alternative provision data

  National

  National level vocational subject achievements for the latest year broken down by subject for pupils in alternative provision.

  • Number of rows: 19
  • Indicators:
    • The number of pupils entering each exam
    • The percentage of pupils achieving a level 1 pass
    • The percentage of pupils achieving a level 2 pass
  • Filters:
    • The type of subject
  • Time period: 2020/21

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Data guidance

Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

Description

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Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Key stage 4 performance statistics and data:

Attainment statistics team

Email: Attainment.STATISTICS@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Liam Hamilton

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If you have a media enquiry:

Telephone: 020 7783 8300

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