At least two-thirds of learners who did not have GCSE English and/or maths at aged 16 had not achieved one or both qualifications by 19, new Department for Education data has revealed. 

Just 29 per cent of students who resat GCSE English and/or maths after not achieving a grade 4 in year 11 had passed by the time they were 19 years old, according to the data. 

When broken down into the individual subjects, the data shows that 34 per cent passed English by 19, and 24 per cent passed maths. 

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The condition of funding introduced in 2014-15 means students who have not gained that grade 4 in English and/or maths in secondary school have to resit the qualifications at college. 

The resit policy has been criticised by many since its introduction. However, research from the charity Impetus, published exclusively by Tes last week, found that young people are more likely to gain a degree and less likely to end up not in employment, education or training (Neet) if they have GCSEs in English and maths, compared to their peers who have five GCSEs in other subjects.

The research compared a group of young people who have achieved at least a C at GCSE in both English and maths by age 16 – but who do not have five or more GCSEs at these grades (the English and maths group), with a group of young people who have achieved at least five C grades at GCSE by age 16 – but who do not have either English or maths, or both (the five passes group).