A £5 million fund to improve the attainment and employment opportunities of students who do not achieve a grade C in English or maths at GCSE has been launched by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF).
Created in partnership with JP Morgan, the fund will go towards researching up to eight projects over the next three years that are designed to improve the outcomes of 16-year-old students who do not achieve a GCSE grade C in English or maths.
Figures released by Ofqual in April showed that the number of all post-Year 11 entries for English and English language GCSEs increased by a third to 123,000 in 2016, while entries in GCSE maths increased by 35 per cent from 130,000 in 2015 to 175,000 in 2016.
A review published today by the EEF shows that peer tutoring is one approach found to have a positive impact on English skills, while utilising classroom technology could improve attainment in maths.
Programmes to ensure pupils reach their potential
Sir Kevan Collins, chief executive of the EEF, said: “Every year, hundreds of thousands of young people are leaving formal education without the qualifications in English and maths they will need to succeed in life. Those from poorer backgrounds are particularly vulnerable to finding themselves unable to continue their studies or to secure a good job.
“We are determined to support the post-16 sector in developing well-evidenced programmes to ensure these students can fulfil their potential.”
Hang Ho, JP Morgan’s head of philanthropy for Europe, Middle-East and Africa, said: “Possessing the right skills is fundamental to young people’s ability to compete for quality jobs and create stable economic futures. We passionately believe in enabling students to achieve the right credentials for clear pathways to the employment market; maths and English are key to this. Working with EEF, we are identifying best-in-class programmes to dramatically increase the number of young people who have a smoother transition into the job market.”
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