What is Key Stage 4 and how are grades measures?
Key Stage 4 refers to two years of education which incorporate GCSEs and other examinations. Pupils studying for these are normally in Year 10 and 11 and are aged between 14 and 16.
GCSEs are measured on a grade scale of 9 (the highest grade) to 1 (the lowest). This new scale aligns to key grades on the current A* to G scale. Further information can be found here.
Key Stage 4 Achievement Trends
The charts in the carousel below show the percentage of all grades which were a grade 7 or above on the first chart and a grade 4 or above on the second chart. Grade 7 or above is equivalent to the previous grades of A or above and a grade 4 or above is equivalent to the previous grades of C or above.
There are some interesting trends which have occurred in the Key Stage 4 grades between 2018 to 2023. In 2018, Northumberland had the highest percentage of grades at a 7 or above for all North East educational areas at 19.1%. This was just 1.4pp lower than the England percentage of grades at 7 or above. There was then a small gap to Durham and Tyne and Wear which had roughly 17% of all grades at 7 or above. This gap of roughly 4pp continued through until 2023 and the number of grades in Northumberland at 7 or above has decreased year on year relative to the other areas. In 2023 this level was the lowest of all the areas, at 17.3%.
Across all areas there was a notable increase in the percentage of grades at 7 or above in 2020 and 2021 when summer exams were cancelled. During this time grades were based on teacher assessment. This increase peaked in 2021 but lasted into 2022. There was a notable decrease in the percentage of grades achieving 7 or above in 2023 in comparison to the previous three years. Overall grades still look higher than pre-covid levels.
The percentage of grades at 4 or above followed similar trends to the percentage of grades at 7 or above with an increase in 2020 and 2021. This percentage dropped slightly in 2022 and 2023 but still look to be higher than in 2018 and 2019. Northumberland grades decreased relative to the other areas across the period. Northumberland grades at 4 or above were 1.2pp higher than the England percentage in 2018 but fell to being 2.2pp lower in 2023.
Key Stage 4 Performance Differences in 2023
The chart below shows the overall breakdown in the percentage of grades received between 1 to 3, 4 to 6, and 7 to 9 in the three North East educational geographical areas, three regional comparators, and England in 2023. It shows that fewer grades in the North East are at the top level in comparison to London and England. As the grades get higher the proportional difference (gap) between the North East and England increases. North Eastern regions have roughly 2.2pp more grades between 1 to 3 and 4 to 6 than in England, but have 4.6pp lower grades at 7 to 9. The contrast is more stark when comparing to Greater London, which has over 10pp more grades at 7 to 9 than the average across the North East regions. Merseyside grades are, on average, slightly lower and Greater Manchester has, on average, slightly higher grades.