One in five GCSEs taken this year scored an A or A*, according to record results published today as more 670,000 pupils in England and Wales received their results.
Both the pass rate and the number of top grades edged up again, and there was a return to traditional subjects with the number sitting maths, chemistry, biology and physics leaping.
But the number sitting languages declined for the fourth year in a row since the government made languages non-compulsory for GCSE students, triggering concerns that modern foreign languages are fast becoming the preserve of elite schools.
The government, teachers and exam boards welcomed the results, but they will inevitably spark another row about "dumbing down" as the pass rate edges towards 100%. Only 1.4% of students failed GCSEs this year, which ministers say is due to improvements in schools and pupils taking more appropriate subjects.
The numbers sitting English and English literature and scoring a C or better dropped by 0.2 percentage points, prompting concerns that schools are struggling to teach the subject, despite pressure from the government to prioritise it.
Independent schools got far more of the top grades than comprehensives and their results improved fastest, widening the gap between the sectors. Independent schools were, however, outperformed by students in grammar schools, where 55% of GCSEs scored an A or A*.
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