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GCSE

Answer

[holding answer 14 September 2009]: For this answer, a comprehensive local authority has been defined as one where all pupils in the maintained sector are attending comprehensive schools, whereas a partially selective local authority has been defined as having between 0 per cent. and 25 per cent. of 13-year-old pupils on roll attending one or more selective schools. Finally, a selective local authority has been defined as having 25 per cent. or more 13-year-old pupils on roll attending one or more selective schools.Excluding English, maths and science GCSEs, the five subjects with the most entries by pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 in 2008 (the latest year for which figures are available) are given in the following table, for local authorities that are comprehensive, selective and partially selective.

Rank in descending order of entries	1. English Literature	2. History	3. Art and Design	4. Geography	5. Religious Studies
Comprehensive local authorities
Number of entries	327,000	122,500	112,600	104,300	101,600
Proportion of all entries (percentage)	20.7	7.8	7.1	6.6	6.4
Partially selective local authorities
Number of entries	100,800	40,200	36,000	35,700	35,400
Proportion of all entries (percentage)	19.7	7.9	7.0	7.0	6.9

Rank in descending order of entries	1. English Literature	2. History	3. French	4. Art and Design	5. Geography
Selective local authorities
Number of entries	43,300	17,400	15,200	15,200	15,000
Proportion of all entries (percentage)	20.3	8.1	7.1	7.1	7.0

Only full GCSEs are included in this analysis. English Literature has been included as a non-core curriculum subject because it extends beyond the literature content in core National Curriculum English programme of study. English GCSE covers both the literature and language content of National Curriculum English.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

496 c2300-2W; 291134

Session

2008-09

Subjects

GCSE

Contains statistics

Yes

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk