The GCSE disadvantage gap is a persistent measure of the academic achievement difference between pupils from lower-income backgrounds (often those eligible for Free School Meals) and their peers, with the gap in 2024–25 remaining high at over 19 months of learning. Disadvantaged pupils are significantly less likely to achieve a "good pass" (Grade 5+) in English and maths, with around 25.8% achieving this in 2023/24, compared to 53.1% of non-disadvantaged peers. This gap has widened following the pandemic.
Our disadvantage gap (expressed in A level grades to aid interpretation, but all qualifications are included) is defined as the mean of this total point score amongst disadvantaged students, subtracted from the mean for non-disadvantaged students.
The gap for the percentage achieving grades 5 and above in English and maths is now 14.8 percentage points in 2024/25, up from 14.6 percentage points in 2023/24 and 11.3 percentage points in 2018/19. The gap for Attainment 8 is 18.9 points in 2024/25, the same as in 2018/19 and in 2023/24.
In summary, the term 'disadvantaged pupil' has a specific definition – it is a pupil that has been on free school meals in the last 6 years or has been in care at some point.
You can usually retake any exam you want. You'll need to continue studying GCSE English, GCSE maths, or both if you're on a 16 to 19 study programme and do not have a grade 4 or above in one or both of these subjects. You're not required to resit the exam, but you can if you and your institution think you're ready.
Gap Years - What to do, advantages and disadvantages. Stepping Further #81
What qualifies as disadvantaged?
Economically disadvantaged means an individual comes from a family with an annual income below a level based on low-income thresholds, according to family size established by the U.S. Census Bureau, adjusted annually for changes in the Consumer Price Index, and adjusted by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health ...
adjective. lacking the normal or usual necessities and comforts of life, as proper housing, educational opportunities, job security, adequate medical care, etc.. The government extends help to disadvantaged minorities. Synonyms: deprived, impoverished, underprivileged, poor.
Kate Middleton achieved 11 GCSEs at Marlborough College and went on to get As in Maths and Art, and a B in English at A-Level before studying History of Art at university, performing strongly academically while also excelling in sports like tennis and hockey.
Example answer: “I took a career gap to continue my education as I am eager to progress in my role and bring new skills and knowledge to the team.” It's important to list some of the skills you gained and why these are important to the potential employer.
📚 The 10 Most Educated Countries in the World (2025) Based on tertiary education attainment among adults (ages 25–64) As of 2025, Canada leads the world in education, with 63% of its adult population holding a post-secondary qualification — the highest among OECD nations.
TEN-4-FACESp stands for bruising to the Torso, Ears, Neck, Frenulum, Angle of the jaw, Cheeks, Eyelids or Subconjunctivae, “4” represents infants 4 months and younger with any bruise, anywhere, and “p” represents the presence of patterned bruising.
Schools often equate their Pupil Premium students with their Disadvantaged students, though there is a key difference: Pupil Premium includes service children, whereas Disadvantaged does not.
Disadvantaged. The term 'disadvantaged' means those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged. This includes those receiving pupil premium funding, or those in FE and skills providers who are from low-income backgrounds – for example, those who have been eligible for free school meals in the past 6 years.
Free school meal (FSM) eligibility is one of the most common ways to identify pupils from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. However, many questions remain about which measures best capture socio-economic disadvantage, especially once pupils leave secondary school.
Groups of persons that experience a higher risk of poverty, social exclusion, discrimination and violence than the general population, including, but not limited to, ethnic minorities, migrants, people with disabilities, isolated elderly people and children.
A boy is celebrating achieving the highest mark in the country in one of his GCSEs. Brighton College pupil Nathaniel Byng is celebrating ten grade 9s and one grade 8, alongside a prestigious national award for achieving the highest mark in the whole country in his English Literature GCSE. He achieved 100% in his exams.
