[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-206618-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":74,"doc-detail-206618-en":124},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":67,"head_meta":69,"extra_data":71,"updated_unix":73},105,"en","making-the-grade-sutton-trust-report-2019","Making the Grade - Sutton Trust Report 2019","","Sutton Trust report (December 2019) examines how GCSE reforms introduced from 2015, with first cohorts taking new exams in 2017–2018, influenced the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and those from more affluent backgrounds. Using three years of state-school GCSE entries, it compares pre- and post-reform outcomes using grade equivalencies (9–4 to A*–C; 9–7 to A*/A). Overall results show a slight improvement at higher bands but a statistically significant widening of the gap.",{"@graph":14,"@context":66},[15,34,49],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/","Research & Report",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/making-the-grade-sutton-trust-report-2019/206618/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"author":36,"headline":10,"publisher":39,"fileFormat":42,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":43,"datePublished":43,"encodingFormat":42,"isAccessibleForFree":44,"interactionStatistic":45},"DigitalDocument",{"name":37,"@type":38},"Adam","Person",{"url":19,"name":40,"@type":41},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-09-05",true,{"@type":46,"interactionType":47,"userInteractionCount":4},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":48},"ViewAction",{"@type":50,"mainEntity":51},"FAQPage",[52,58,62],{"name":53,"@type":54,"acceptedAnswer":55},"What GCSE reforms are examined in this Sutton Trust report?","Question",{"text":56,"@type":57},"The report focuses on reforms introduced in 2015 that changed the exam structure and grading system, with new exams taken by early cohorts in 2017 and 2018. Key changes included more challenging content, a move to final exams, and a shift from A*-G letters to grades 9-1 numbers.","Answer",{"name":59,"@type":54,"acceptedAnswer":60},"How does the report measure disadvantaged pupils and compare outcomes?",{"text":61,"@type":57},"Disadvantaged pupils are defined as those eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the six years up to and including the year they ended Key Stage 4. Comparisons use grade equivalencies between the reformed GCSE bands and legacy GCSE grades, based on three years of state-maintained school cohorts.",{"name":63,"@type":54,"acceptedAnswer":64},"What is the central conclusion about the attainment gap after reforms?",{"text":65,"@type":57},"The research finds that the reform increased the GCSE test score gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils. The average change is small but statistically significant, with the most negative effect highlighted around the grade 5 boundary.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":68,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":40,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":70,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":72,"site_id":7},206618,1788595061,{"code":4,"msg":75,"data":76},"success",[77,81,85,89,94,99,104,108,113,116,120],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":78,"show_sort_weight":79,"slug":80},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":82,"show_sort_weight":83,"slug":84},"Literature",80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":86,"show_sort_weight":87,"slug":88},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":90,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":95,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":100,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":105,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},8,30,"research-report",{"id":109,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":111,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":114,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":115},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":118,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":119},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":121,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":122,"show_sort_weight":90,"slug":123},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":75,"data":125},{"doc_id":72,"user_id":126,"nickname":37,"user_avatar":127,"doc_module":4,"category_id":105,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":128,"file_id":129,"file_url":130,"file_type":131,"file_size":132,"view_count":4,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":26,"language":133,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":134,"faqs":135,"seo_title":136,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":73,"read_time":90},1374404737137,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_155a257f0dc6eb9ab79c44ca47cae57d","The Sutton Trust: December 2019  \nMaking the Grade  \nDSS 19/20 34  \nIntroduction and background  \nGood performance in GCSE examinations is an important gateway to strong life chances for pupils in the UK. Significant reforms to these examinations were introduced in 2015, with the first cohorts taking the new exams in 2017 and 2018. The major changes comprised of more challenging material, a move from modular assessment to a focus on final exams, and a change in the grading system from letters (A*-G), to numbers (9-1) . The rationale for the reforms was set out in a letter to Ofqual from the then Secretary of State for education, Michael Gove. The stated aims of the new examinations were: raising educational attainment to match that of high performing jurisdictions; making top grades rarer and therefore more meaningful; and providing a better grounding for full-time study.  \nThis report was written by Simon Burgess and Dave Thomson and published by the Sutton Trust. It explores how the reforms to GCSEs have affected the attainment gap between those from affluent backgrounds and those from poorer families. It uses data covering cohorts of pupils taking GCSEs in state-maintained schools over a period of 3 years straddling the reform. The comparison between prereform and post-reform outcomes is based on the following equivalencies: the range 9-4 in the reformed GCSE is equivalent to grades A*-C in the legacy GCSE. The range 9-7 in the reformed GCSE is equivalent to grades A* and A in the legacy GCSE. Disadvantaged pupils are defined as those eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the 6 years up to and including the year in which they reached the end of Key Stage 4.  \nKey points  \nOverall change in the attainment gap  \n• Following the reforms, there was a slight increase in achievement at Grades 9-4 for all pupils. Before thereforms, 52 per cent of entries made by disadvantaged pupils were awarded grades A*-C. The figure for nondisadvantaged pupils was 74 per cent. Following thereforms, the percentage of entries from disadvantaged pupils achieving this benchmark rose by 2.4 per cent; the increase for non-disadvantaged students was virtually identical (2 .5%) .  \n• Both before and after the reforms, 10 per cent of entries by disadvantaged pupils were awarded grades 9-7 (A*/A) . The attainment rate at this level for non-disadvantaged pupils also remained unchanged at 24 per cent.  \n• The analysis explored the outcomes for pupils with high prior attainment at key stage 2. Within this group, the proportion of entries by disadvantaged pupils achieving grades 9-4 (A*-C) increased slightly from 55-56 per cent. The percentage of entries by disadvantaged pupils awarded grades 9-7 (A*-A) also rose slightly from 31 percent to 32 per cent. Increases amongst the group of nondisadvantaged pupils were similar – 47 to 48 per cent for grades 9-4 and a stable 47 per cent at grades 9-7.  \n• Whilst changes in the attainment gap at grades the 7(A) and 4(C) boundaries were minimal, more detailed statistical analysis revealed that there are potential impactsat other grade boundaries. Under the previous system, 2 per cent of entries by disadvantaged pupils resulted in a grade 9, whereas the post reform figure is just 1 per cent. This drop is smaller for non-disadvantaged pupils with a fall  \nfrom 8 per cent under the old system to 5 per cent postreform.  \n• Non-disadvantaged pupils were 1.42 times more likely than disadvantaged pupils to achieve grade C or above under the old system, but they are now 1.63 times more likely to achieve grade 5 or above.  \nSubject level analysis  \n• There has been a one percentage point drop in the proportion of entries by disadvantaged pupils failing to achieve a standard pass (grade 4/C) in English. The same is true for maths where the proportion failing to reach a standard pass has decreased from 49.8 per cent in 2016 to 48.8 per cent in 2018.  \n• These decreases were similar for the whole cohort of pupils. ","cbCaiffHHqIL3ZqB","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiffHHqIL3ZqB","pdf",151354,"English","# Introduction and background\n# Key points\n## Overall change in the attainment gap\n## Subject level analysis\n# Conclusions","[{\"question\":\"What GCSE reforms are examined in this Sutton Trust report?\",\"answer\":\"The report focuses on reforms introduced in 2015 that changed the exam structure and grading system, with new exams taken by early cohorts in 2017 and 2018. Key changes included more challenging content, a move to final exams, and a shift from A*-G letters to grades 9-1 numbers.\"},{\"question\":\"How does the report measure disadvantaged pupils and compare outcomes?\",\"answer\":\"Disadvantaged pupils are defined as those eligible for free school meals (FSM) at any point in the six years up to and including the year they ended Key Stage 4. Comparisons use grade equivalencies between the reformed GCSE bands and legacy GCSE grades, based on three years of state-maintained school cohorts.\"},{\"question\":\"What is the central conclusion about the attainment gap after reforms?\",\"answer\":\"The research finds that the reform increased the GCSE test score gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils. The average change is small but statistically significant, with the most negative effect highlighted around the grade 5 boundary.\"}]","Making the Grade - Sutton Trust Report 2019 | PDF"]